May 9, 2009

Box Score

PENDLETON, Ind. - Butler (26-27) scored seven runs in the first inning and never looked back en route to a 12-4 victory over Loyola (28-24) this morning in an elimination game at the Horizon League Championship. The loss brings the fourth-seeded Ramblers' season to a close.

The No. 5 seed Bulldogs exploded out of the starting blocks, scoring seven times off two Loyola pitchers in the first inning. With winds gusting to 25 miles per hour, Erin Falkenberry crushed a three-run home run to centerfield to put Butler on the board and Alex Boros delivered a bases-clearing double that scored three runs later in the inning.

Annie Dolan's three-run homer in the second inning extended the lead to 10-0 and the Ramblers weren't able to get on track on offense until the bottom of the fourth. Trailing 12-0 at that point, Loyola was able to break through against Butler starter Breanna Fisher. Jacqueline Grim laced a two-out single that scored Alexandra Trudnich to get the Ramblers on the board and one inning later back-to-back singles by Lauren Arceneaux and Bridget Lally set the stage for Jenna Grim to slug a three-run homer, her second in as many games, to left center, to provide the final margin.

Lally finished the day 2-for-3 and Jenna Grim drove in three runs to lead the Loyola offense.

The Ramblers belted nine home runs in four games at the Horizon League Championship this weekend and in the process set a new school record for home runs in a single season with 37. Loyola also finished the 2009 campaign with 28 total wins, the most since the 2004 edition of the Ramblers won 31 contests.