May 2, 2010

Box Score

CHICAGO - Dara Toman hit a pair of home runs and drove in six to lead visiting Cleveland State (39-13, 19-2 Horizon) to an 8-3 victory over Loyola University Chicago (19-23, 7-12 Horizon) in the final game of a three-game weekend set this afternoon. Despite the loss, Loyola tallied three runs in the fifth inning to put an end to a 25-inning scoreless spell.

Cleveland State took an early lead when Toman drove in pinch runner Alicia Nichols with a two-out double in the top of the second inning and the slugging second baseman struck again in the fourth inning when she crushed a three-run homer to give the Vikings a 4-0 advantage.

The Ramblers finally stung CSU starter Amanda Macenko for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out and runners on second and third, Lauren Arceneaux doubled to left field to score Ellen Kresl, who had reached on a single earlier in the frame. Brooke Andresen followed with a bloop single to right to score pinch runner Carly Benford and Stephanie Cihlar's RBI groundout finished off Loyola's scoring for the inning as it drew within a run, at 4-3.

Loyola was unable to sustain that positive momentum into the next inning however, as the Vikings scored four times, with two of the runs coming courtesy of another long ball from Toman, for her fourth roundtripper of the weekend series.

Kresl went 2-for-3 to lead Loyola's offensive attack, which recorded seven hits off Macenko, who finished with six strikeouts.

Loyola is back in action when it hosts city rival DePaul in a single game Tuesday, May 4 at 4 p.m.