April 19, 2014
Box Score
Carbondale, Ill. - The Loyola University Chicago softball team was unable to quell the potent offense of Southern Illinois in the finale of this weekend's conference series today, falling to the Salukis 6-1 in Carbondale, Ill. A balanced attack from the Saluki line up was too much for the Ramblers to overcome, as Loyola falls to 16-27 overall and 7-12 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Both teams were held scoreless in the first inning, but Loyola was the first to jump on the board in the top of the second inning. After Olivia Bell popped up to the short stop, Brie Pasquale, Tarran Shaffer and Annie Korth hit three consecutive singles to plate one run, giving Loyola a 1-0 lead before a line out ended the inning. Southern Illinois responded in much of the same way, taking advantage of a walk, a passed ball and a single to push their own run across and tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the frame.
The Salukis continued this momentum into the bottom of the third inning, loading the bases on a Loyola fielding error, walk and hit by pitch. A sacrifice fly then plated Southern Illinois' second run of the game, giving the Salukis a 2-1 lead before Rambler ace Brittany Gardner fanned Merri Ann Patterson to end the inning.
Neither team was able to score in the fourth inning, but Southern Illinois added two more runs to their total in the bottom of the fifth inning. After two hits and a walk loaded the bases for the Salukis, Patterson hit a two RBI single to give the home team a 4-1 advantage.
Southern Illinois did not stop there, however, adding two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. After Kalyn Harker led off with a single, she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Jayna Spivey double. Alyssa Mannucci then grabbed a sharp liner for the second out of the inning before another double plated Spivey, giving the Salukis a 6-1 lead.
Loyola attempted to chip away at Southern Illinois' lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, posting one run on two hits. Shaffer drew a walk to lead off the inning and, Korth hit her second single of the day to advance pinch runner Jacquelyn Murphy to second base. After a Jessica Balzano fielder's choice resulted in Korth being thrown out a second base, Mannucci ripped a single that scored Murphy to bring the Ramblers within four runs, 6-2. A groundout and a strikeout stemmed the tide, however, and Loyola fell to the Salukis by four runs.
Gardner took the loss in the circle for the Ramblers, giving up six runs on nine hits and fanning six in six innings pitched. At the plate, Korth continued her hot-hitting streak with a 2-for-3 day and one RBI.
The Ramblers are back in action on Tuesday, Aril 22, when they host Indiana State in a 4:00 p.m. CT match up at Loyola Softball Park in Chicago, Ill.
