May 8, 2014
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Normal, Ill. - The Loyola University Chicago softball team continued to roll through their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference Championship today, completing a day one sweep with a 6-1 victory over the No. 3 seeded Southern Illinois inside Marian Kneer Stadium in Normal, Ill. With a seventh inning surge that included three doubles and two singles to plate three insurance runs, the No. 7 seeded Ramblers continued to rally behind recently minted MVC Pitcher of the Year Brittany Gardner, as the senior silenced the Southern Illinois bats with a complete-game three-hitter.
The Ramblers kicked off their second game of the day in much of the same way that they started the first game. With two outs, Lauren Moore crushed a home run--her second of the day--over the batting cages in left field to put the Ramblers up 1-0. The roundtripper was her ninth of the season and the 29th of her career, just three shy of the all-time career record at Loyola.
Gardner was back in the circle for Loyola in the bottom of the frame after throwing a complete game shutout versus Drake earlier in the afternoon. After a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt put a Saluki on second base, Gardner punched out Southern Illinois slugger Jayna Spivey for the second out of the inning. Shaye Harre then hit a harder grounder up the middle that was misplayed by Loyola shortstop Brie Pasquale, allowing one run to score and tying the game at 1-1.
In the top of the fourth inning, Jessica Balzano led off the frame with a double down the left field line and Moore followed it up with a four-pitch walk. After both base runners advanced on a Tarran Shaffer sacrifice bunt, Olivia Bell ripped a two-strike double into left center field to score the pair of runs, giving Loyola a 3-1 lead.
Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth and the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh inning, Annie Korth and Lauren Zaworski led off frame with back-to-back doubles, scoring one run to put Loyola up 4-1. Jacquelyn Murphy followed it up with a single to right field, and Katy LaCivita then added a double of her own, plating a fifth run to give the Ramblers a 5-1 lead. The inning did not stop there, however, as Balzano crushed a single up the middle to score Murphy and increase Loyola's lead to five runs, 6-1.
With the three doubles, the Ramblers upped their season total to 64 doubles as team, effectively breaking the single-season school record for doubles (62) set by the 2004 squad. They also broke the single-season school record for runs (204) originally set by the 2004 and 2010 squads.
The Salukis attempted to strike in the bottom of the seventh inning, drawing two walks to put two runners on base. Gardner settled down, however, striking out one and forcing a groundout to end the inning.
Balzano led the Ramblers at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. All but two of Loyola's nine hitters ended the day with at least one hit.
Gardner earned the win in the circle, giving up just one run on three hits and striking out five Salukis in the complete-game victory. With the win, the senior effectively tied the single-season school record for complete games (27) while improving her record to 18-14.
Loyola is back in action tomorrow when the Rambler take on host and No. 2 seeded Illinois State. First pitch of the semifinal matchup is set for 2:35 p.m. CT.
