March 6, 2010

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Loyola University Chicago (2-7) was unable to get its offense on track as it dropped a pair of games today at the Under Armour Invitational, falling to Memphis, 2-1, before suffering a 9-0 setback to Temple in the nightcap. The Ramblers are 1-3 through two days of play at the Under Armour Invitational.

Against Memphis, Loyola jumped on the board first, when Angie Funston led off the top of the third inning with a single, stole second, then swiped third and scored on a throwing error to give the Ramblers a 1-0 lead.

That lead was short-lived however, as Memphis evened the score on Maddie McKinley's run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning. The game remained that way until the bottom of the fifth inning, when McKinley again inflicted damage on the Ramblers, this time singling through the left side to score Heather Mott for the go-ahead run and a 2-1 lead.

Loyola's offense was stymied by Tigers reliever Carly Hummel, who retired eight straight Ramblers after taking over for injured starter Lauren Carley in the fifth inning. Hummel tossed 2.2 innings of perfect relief, and struck out three, to earn the win.

Funston tallied Loyola's only hit in the game as Amy Solava's solid effort in the pitching circle went for naught. Solava tossed 6.0 innings and struck out four.

In the nightcap versus Temple, the Owls staked claim to a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to Danielle Fagan's RBI single, and added to that advantage with another run in the sixth inning.

Temple broke the game open in the top of the seventh, scoring seven runs on six hits off a pair of Rambler pitchers, to take a 9-0 lead.

Freshmen Brooke Andresen and Lauren Gonzalez recorded Loyola's only hits against Temple starter Kristen Marris, who fanned seven in a complete-game victory.

Loyola wraps up play at the Under Armour Invitational tomorrow morning when it takes on Jacksonville.