May 2, 2007

Box Score

CHICAGO - Loyola University Chicago (19-17) capitalized on a handful of miscues to stun No. 14 DePaul (36-8), 3-0 this evening at Loyola Softball Park. With the win, the Ramblers recorded their third victory over a ranked team, posted their first win over the Blue Demons since April 18, 1995, and snapped the nation's longest current winning streak at 20 games.

"Our team gets excited to play ranked teams and we showed a tremendous amount of heart, resilience and senior leadership today," Loyola head coach Yvette Healy said.

After suffering a heartbreaking 3-2 loss at DePaul last month, Loyola wasted no time jumping on the board tonight, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning without the aid of a base hit. Nora Schober led off by reaching on an error, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Ellen Kresl followed with a walk to give the Ramblers runners on first and second with no outs. Schober stole third and scored on a throwing error by Blue Demons catcher Jackie Tarulli-Fisher and Kresl would later score on a fielder's choice to put Loyola ahead, 2-0.

Loyola was hitless until Raven Gengler delivered a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the fourth inning and that would wind up being its only hit of the contest. Again, despite the benefit of a hit, the Ramblers added an insurance run in the fifth as Schober walked and later came around to score on a wild pitch as DePaul attempted to intentionally walk Kat Krause.

Freshman Amy Solava allowed only two hits and struck out four en route to her 11th win of the year. The right-hander escaped a jam in the seventh inning as DePaul put a pair of runners on base, but was unable to score.

Ironically enough, the last time Loyola defeated DePaul, it was by the same 3-0 margin, 12 years ago.

The Ramblers, who have already wrapped up the regular-season Horizon League title, close out League play this weekend with a three-game series at Youngstown State, May 5-6.