April 12, 2012
Box Score
CHICAGO - Annie Korth capped an amazing offensive performance by singling home Lauren Arceneaux in the bottom of the eighth inning as Loyola University Chicago (15-17, 8-4 Horizon) earned a 7-6 victory over UIC (17-21, 4-5 Horizon) in game two of a doubleheader this evening at Loyola Softball Park. Korth went 3-for-3 and drew a pair of walks, reaching base in each of her five plate appearances.
In a contest that lasted nearly three hours and featured seven ties or lead changes, Loyola found itself trailing, 4-1, after three and a half innings before it mounted a rally against Flames starter Devin Miller. Jessica Balzano's sacrifice fly and Brooke Andresen's RBI double cut the UIC lead down to 4-3 after four innings of play.
Loyola kept the momentum rolling and completely wiped out that original three-run deficit in the fifth when Olivia Bell slapped a single off reliever Ashley Hewett through the left side of the infield to bring home both Lauren Moore and Korth and give the Ramblers a 5-4 lead.
That lead would be short-lived however as UIC reclaimed momentum and the lead in the top of the sixth when it scored a pair of unearned runs to go on top, 6-5. Undaunted, the Ramblers fought right back in the bottom half of the inning and tied the game on Arceneaux's double down the left field line that sent Andresen, who had drawn a one-out walk, scampering around the bases to score. Arceneaux moved up to third on the throw to the plate to put the go-ahead run 60 feet away, and after Hewett notched the second out of the inning via strikeout, Korth drew a walk to give the Ramblers runners at the corners. But once again, Hewett hunkered down and recorded a strikeout to snuff the rally.
Both teams stranded two runners on base in their respective half of the seventh inning and after the Flames left a pair of runners on again in the top of the eighth, the Ramblers finally got to a fatigued Hewett.
Back-to-back walks to Arceneaux and Moore opened the inning before Korth ripped a single to right field, which scored Arceneaux and gave Loyola its fifth victory in the last six games.
In addition to Korth's three-hit effort, Arceneaux, Moore, and Bell tallied two hits apiece, with Korth and Bell also driving in a pair. Freshman righthander Amanda Ciran collected her second win of the season, allowing three earned runs and striking out six in eight innings.
Loyola closes out a 12-game homestand by playing host to Horizon League foe Cleveland State in a three-game series, April 14-15.
