April 29, 2012

Box Score

VALPARAISO, Ind. - Sara Strickland's two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning lifted host Valparaiso (32-16, 16-5 Horizon) to a 2-0 victory over Loyola University Chicago (22-21, 13-8 Horizon) this afternoon in the series finale of a three-game weekend set. The loss snapped the Ramblers' four-game winning streak, but despite the setback, they are 7-2 over the last nine outings.

Much like the opener of yesterday's doubleheader, today's game was a match-up of two of the top hurlers in the Horizon League as Brittany Gardner faced Valpo's Alex Lagesse and through the first four and a half innings, pitching prevailed as the teams had tallied just one hit apiece.

Gardner was dominant in the early going, striking out six Crusaders through the first three innings and the southpaw did not allow a hit until Angie Doerffler led off the fourth with a single to right field.

Valpo was finally able to touch Gardner for a pair of runs in the fifth, but didn't get its rally going until the lefthander had already retired the first two hitters she had faced. Lindsey Norway coaxed a walk before Amanda Wisniewski was hit by a pitch, which brought Strickland to the plate. The centerfielder's double to the gap in left center cleared the bases and provided Lagesse with all of the support she would need.

Loyola tried to rally in both the sixth and seventh innings, with Olivia Bell and Annie Korth leading off each frame respectively, with a single, but ultimately, the Ramblers were unable to push a run across the plate.

Gardner allowed only two hits and struck out seven in the hard-luck defeat. Lagesse scattered three hits and fanned 11 Ramblers to earn her 15th win of the season.

For Loyola to clinch at least a share of the Horizon League regular-season title, it would need to sweep a three-game series from Detroit next weekend, while Valpo would have to drop all three games at Cleveland State.

Loyola is off until it hosts a doubleheader versus Detroit on May 5.