GAME INFORMATION
Final Score: Illinois State 6, Loyola 2
Records: ILS (14-27, 6-9 MVC); LUC (18-21, 2-13 MVC)
Location: Loyola Softball Park -- Chicago, Ill.
Pitchers of Record:W: Regan Romshek (6-6); L: Keenan Dolezal (1-4)
Stats: Box Score

In Short...
Illinois State used four unearned runs to build a six-run lead and Loyola could not come all the way as the Ramblers suffered a 6-2 setback to the Redbirds in the opening game of a three-game series at Loyola Softball Park.

How It Happened
+ Neither team could muster much offense in the opening two innings, with Loyola getting one-out singles from Jamie O'Brien (first inning) and Katie Kasubke (second) but the Ramblers could not do anything with them
+ Illinois State worked a leadoff walk to open the third and Shannon Felde followed with a ground ball to third base but the throw to second to get the force out was wide, putting two runners on with no outs
+ A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners and a walk loaded the bases before Dolezal got Jordan de los Reyes to hit a ground ball to third, with the Ramblers getting a force out at home plate
+ However, Riley Strandgard followed with a two-run double down the right field line to give the Redbirds the lead
+ Erica Nagel singled with one out in the third but was stranded there before Illinois State tacked on a single run in the top of the fourth on a double from Lauren Prader
+ A pair of unearned runs in the fifth made it a 6-0 lead before the Ramblers tried to rally
+ Brooke Wilson led off with a triple and scored on a one-out base hit from Nagel
+ Wilson got the team started again in the seventh, beating out an infield single and moving to second on a wild throw
+ After a strike out and ground out moved Loyola to its last out, O'Brien tripled down the line in left to score Wilson before a pop up ended the game

Inside The Box Score
+ O'Brien continued her hot streak at the plate, going 3-for-4 to lead Loyola's eight-hit attack
+ Nagel and O'Brien combined to go 5-for-8 in the first two spots of Loyola's lineup but they failed to score a single run, as the 3-4-5 hitters went a combined 0-for-10 at the plate
+ Dolezal went the distance in the circle, allowing eight hits and fanning three
+ Loyola left seven runners on base