In Short…
Loyola falls in both low-scoring games to Missouri State to begin the MVC opening weekend.

Coach Tylka's Thoughts
"It was a tough day offensively, as we struggled to get runners on base against the MSU pitching," head coach Jeff Tylka said. "They were two close games where they made the crucial play to score a run and we didn't. I was pleased with a lot of things we did today, but tomorrow is a chance to get better."
 
How It Happened
Both pitchers were on their A-games in the doubleheader's opening contest, not allowing a run through the first three innings. Rambler starter Keenan Dolezal pitched perfect 1-2-3 second and third innings, highlighted by the third where she struck out the side in order.
 
Shannon McGee's fourth inning infield single got the Ramblers' leadoff hitter aboard. An error and a productive out got her over to third, which set the table for Abbey Jacobsen to bring McGee home with an RBI groundout. The RBI was Jacobsen's third of the year and established a 1-0 lead for the vistors.
 
Dolezal kept the Bears off the scoreboard the following inning, but ran into some trouble in the fifth. With the bases loaded, head coach Jeff Tylka opted to bring Madison Veres into the circle try and get out of the inning. Veres limited the damage, but surrendered an inherited runner that tied the contest up.
 
The game stayed at 1-1 into the bottom of the seventh. After the leadoff hitter struck out, Missouri State strung together three straight hits to capture the first game in walk-off fashion, 2-1.
 
The fans in attendance were treated to a pitcher's duel in game two, a contest that saw just one run and seven combined hits. Starter Kiley Jones was sharp in the circle with a 6-inning complete game and four strikeouts, surpassing 60 innings pitched thus far on the season. The rightly was efficient, starting the game off with three 1-2-3 innings, including a bottom of the second frame where she tallied three straight swinging strikeouts.
 
Jessica Shields picked up a leadoff single in the fourth, but it would be the only Ramblers hit until the seventh, as MSU starter Erin Griesbauer was equally as impressive as Jones, throwing 7.0 innings of no-run softball.
 
Loyola put together a two-out rally in the seventh with back-to-back singles from McGee and Allyson Ivey. However, the Ramblers couldn't cash in and dropped the second game to the Bears by a score of 1-0.
 
A Look at the Numbers
-Due to not surrendering an earned run, Kiley Jones' ERA dropped from 1.21 to 1.10 this season.
-Jessica Shields led the Ramblers with three hits over the course of the two games, placing her in a tie for the team lead this season with 28.
-Shannon McGee picked up a hit in each contest to extend her hitting streak to four – two shy of her season-high.
-McGee's run scored in game one widened her team lead to 23 on the season.
 
Up Next
Loyola wraps up its Missouri Valley Conference opening series with the Bears tomorrow (March 17). The Sunday contest begins a little bit earlier that Saturday's twin bill, this time at 11 a.m.