March 7, 2010
Box Score
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jacksonville (13-6) scored four runs over the final three innings to rally from a three-run deficit and post a 4-3 victory over Loyola University Chicago (2-8) this afternoon in the final game for each team at the Under Armour Invitational. Third baseman Angie Funston went 3-for-3 to lead a Rambler offense that banged out eight hits off a pair of Dolphins pitchers.
Stephanie Cihlar got things going early for Loyola when she reached base on a one-out bunt single and promptly stole second base. Funston gave the Ramblers a 1-0 lead when her bloop single to right field scored Cihlar.
Loyola right-hander Amy Solava did her best to wiggle her way out of jams in the opening innings as she stranded Dolphins on first and second in the top of the second inning and runners at second and third in the third.
Freshman Brooke Andresen walloped her first career home run deep over the fence in right center to lead off the third inning and give the Ramblers a 2-0 edge. Loyola added to the lead when one out later, Funston ripped a double off the left field fence and later came around to score on an error.
Run-scoring singles in the fifth inning by Kayla Ouellet and Amanda Schmidt brought Jacksonville within a run (3-2) and the Dolphins capped their late-game rally when Ouellet again delivered a RBI single to tie the contest at 3-3.
Schmidt led off the top of the seventh with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt to give Jacksonville a runner in scoring position against Loyola reliever Hilary Payne. After getting Sarah Simon to foul out, Payne appeared to get an inning-ending groundout to short, but the ball took a wicked hop off of Andresen to score Schmidt with a go-ahead run.
Loyola threatened in its final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh when Cihlar laced a two-out single up the middle, but the Ramblers were unable to score the tying run.
Despite the loss, Loyola's offense showed signs of getting back on track as it recorded eight hits this afternoon. In addition to Funston's 3-for-3 effort, Cihlar tallied a pair of hits for the Ramblers.
Loyola is back in action Tuesday, March 9 when it faces Wagner and Indiana State at the Rebel Games in Kissimmee, Fla.
