March 4, 2009

Box Score

ORLANDO - Angie Funston homered twice and drove in five runs to power Loyola University Chicago (5-2) to a 10-4 victory over Central Florida (14-9) this afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex. The Ramblers, who pounded out 12 hits in the game, have now won four straight contests for the first time since last May.

Although Funston's power display was the highlight of the game, the Ramblers also manufactured runs thanks to their team speed. Lauren Arceneaux led off the top of the second inning with a single, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before stealing third and scampering home on a throwing error. Funston walloped her first home run of the game, and second of the day, to lead off the fourth inning as Loyola took a 2-0 lead.

UCF cut that lead in half in the bottom half of the fourth inning, but the Ramblers stole the momentum right back by hanging five runs on the board in the top of the fifth, to open up a 7-1 advantage. The big blow in Loyola's five-run fifth inning was Funston's one-out grand slam.

The Golden Knights scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to cut Loyola's lead to 7-4, but once again, the Ramblers grabbed momentum back with a big offensive inning, this time tacking on three insurance runs in the seventh.

Alexandra Trudnich smacked a two-run double in the seventh inning to add to the Ramblers' advantage, after Stephanie Cihlar had delivered a run-scoring single earlier in the frame.

Funston, Cihlar, Arceneaux and Stevie Bradich each had a pair of hits for Loyola, while Amy Solava tossed a complete game, scattering eight hits.

Loyola is back in action when it opens play at the Under Armour Invitational in Tampa, by facing Evansville on Friday, March 6.