April 9, 2011

Box Score

CHICAGO - Keali Engelkens went 4 for 4 at the plate and tossed five innings of scoreless relief to earn the win as Loyola University Chicago (14-15, 5-3 Horizon) rallied late to earn a 5-4 victory in eight innings versus Valparaiso (22-14-1, 5-3 Horizon) in game two of a doubleheader at Loyola Softball Park today. With the win, the Ramblers, who pounded out 14 hits, snapped a three-game losing skid and picked up their first victory at home this spring.

Much like in game one, Valparaiso staked claim to an early lead, this time scoring a run in the top of the first inning on Sara Strickland's single down the left field line that scored Haley Bridwell, who had led off the game with a double.

Loyola answered right back, evening the score in the bottom half of the inning when Lauren Zaworski ripped a single up the middle to plate Bridget Lally, who had reached earlier in the inning with a one-out single.

The Crusaders hung two more runs on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, then added another run in the fourth to open up a seemingly comfortable 4-1 advantage. However, Loyola methodically chipped away at the three-run deficit, scoring once in the fourth thanks to Olivia Bell's run-producing single, and again in the fifth on Lally's solo home run, her second in as many games today.

With Valparaiso clinging to a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Loyola showed its resiliency and manufactured the game-tying run. Jacqueline Grim led off the seventh with a single up the middle and pinch runner Tori Spears moved up to second on Lauren Arceneaux's sacrifice bunt and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Zaworski was robbed of a base hit when first baseman Kelsey Phalen snared her hard-hit line drive for the second out, third baseman Lauren Moore smashed a two-out single up the middle to plate Spears and send the game into extra innings.

Engelkens retired the Crusaders in order in the eighth and Bell got things cooking for the Ramblers in the bottom of the frame when she led off with an opposite-field double into the gap in left center. Following a pitching change, Brooke Andresen was intentionally walked before Lally hit into a fielder's choice groundout.

Jacqueline Grim got hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out for Arceneaux, who singled up the middle to score pinch runner Carly Benford and give the Ramblers their first win over Valpo since the 2009 campaign.

Twelve of Loyola's 14 hits in the game were singles and Engelkens was sensational both in the circle, where she scattered three hits over 5.0 scoreless innings, and at the plate, where she singled four times in as many at-bats. Lally, Arceneaux, Moore and Bell registered two hits apiece to spark Loyola's offensive outburst that produced a season-high 14 hits.

Loyola and Valparaiso conclude the three-game series by playing a single game tomorrow at noon at Loyola Softball Park.