In Short…
Loyola dropped both games in its Saturday doubleheader to Sam Houston State to fall to 14-4. Despite the outcomes, Allyson Ivey continued to swing a hot bat – extending her hitting streak to nine games, as well as her home run streak to three.

Coach Tylka's Thoughts
"We played a tough Sam Houston State team and didn't make the big play when we needed to," head coach Jeff Tylka said. "They earned their two wins today."
 
How It Happened
Loyola struck first in game one with a sac-fly RBI off the bat of Madison Ebeling in the top of the second. The lead was short-lived however, as the Bearkats jumped out in front the next half-inning with a pair on unearned runs.
 
Allyson Ivey continued her hot stretch with a two-run home run to center field to mark her fourth and fifth RBI in the last three games. The blast marked her 12^th run scored of the season to at the time tie her single-season career high.
 
The Bearkats answered in the bottom of the fourth with another RBI-single to tie the game at 3-3. For the next four full innings, each pitcher hung zeros on the scoreboard. Starter Kiley Jones pitched into extras before handing the ball to Madison Veres in the middle of the eighth – going 7.1 innings to mark her longest outing of the season.
 
The Bearkats, playing as the home team, ended the contest after two hours and 22 minutes with a walk-off single through the right side that handed Loyola its first extra-innings loss of the season at 4-3.
 
In game two, the Ramblers found themselves in an early hole after Sam Houston State posted three runs on the board right out of the gate. Despite the first inning, Keenan Dolezal settled in to keep the Bearkats off the scoreboard for the next four innings.
 
The Ramblers chipped away at the lead and wouldn't go down quietly. Ivey extended her hitting streak to nine games with a fourth inning solo home run that got the Maroon and Gold on the board. The blast was the first baseman's third straight game with a roundtripper and her sixth RBI of the weekend.
 
Loyola continued to rely on the long ball to stay in the game. Nova Sinskul followed up Ivey's big-fly with her first career home run the very next inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. However, SHSU tacked on two more runs the following inning with a pair of RBI-singles to re-establish a three-run lead.
 
Katie Polaski's RBI-single through the right side put another run on the scoreboard, but it was too little, too late as the Bearkats held on for the 5-3 victory and perpetrated Loyola's first two-game losing streak of the season.
 
A Look at the Numbers
-Allyson Ivey is the first Rambler to homer in three straight games since Brooke Wyderski from April 12-15, 2015.
-Ivey has driven in a run four straight games for the first time in her career.
-Game two against the Bearkats marked the second time in three contests the Ramblers posted multiple home runs.
-Jessica Shields stole two more bases in game one to reach 20 on the season. She's the first player to notch 20 stolen bases in a season since Lauren Arceneaux in 2011.
 
 
Up Next
The Ramblers close out the Blues City Classic with one game tomorrow afternoon (March 3) against the host-school Memphis. First pitch against the Tigers is set for 1:30 p.m.