Game Notes

CHICAGO (April 20, 2018) - Two of the hottest teams in the Missouri Valley Conference match up for a three-game set this weekend as Missouri State visits Rogers Park. Loyola has captured the last three contests, its longest streak since early March, while the Bears have won four straight. Unseasonable weather this spring has forced the cancellation of 11 Loyola games already this season. Loyola's pitching staff has been stellar of late, allowing just one run in the last three contests. In her last two starts, junior Kiley Jones has allowed just six hits and three walks over 14.0 innings, surrendering no earned runs. 
 
Series Stuff
The Ramblers and Bears are meeting for the 11th time in series history, with all of those matchups coming since Loyola joined the MVC for the 2014 season. Missouri State owns a 7-3 edge in the all-time series, although Loyola has captured three of the four meetings in Chicago. The Bears swept the three-game series in Springfield last year, outscoring the Ramblers, 15-1. 
 
Scouting Missouri State
Missouri State has won four straight and seven of its last eight contests heading into Saturday's doubleheader. In addition, MSU has prevailed in each of its last seven Valley contests since a 2-1 loss to UNI on March 31 and has won five straight true road games. Over the last four outings, the Bears are putting up 6.3 runs per game, although they have surrendered 4.3 runs per contest in that stretch. Senior righthander Holly Kelley leads the MSU pitching staff with a 9-3 record and 85 strikeouts in 79.2 innings pitched, while Daphne Plummer is batting a team-best .358 (48-for-134) with nine doubles and 23 RBI.
 
Up Next
Loyola hosts Valparaiso in a single game on Tuesday, April 24 at 4 p.m.