In Short…
Loyola completed the regular season sweep of Valparaiso with a 5-2 midweek victory at the Valpo Softball Complex. Kiley Jones went the distance in the circle, while Jessica Shields broke the program record for most stolen bases in a season with her 35th.
 
How It Happened
The Ramblers drew first blood with a run in the game's opening inning. It was Katie Kasubke who ripped a two-out single through the left side that brought Shannon McGee home from second. The early run improved Loyola to 19-5 this season when scoring first.
 
Pitching in her hometown, Kiley Jones was sharp from the word go, beginning her outing with two strikeouts in a three-up, three down bottom of the first. The righty began her afternoon by retiring the first eight batters faced, and didn't allow a runner in scoring position until the fourth.
 
Caitlin Engelking and Jessica Shields each singled to begin the fourth, setting the table for the big bats in the Maroon and Gold. Two batters later, Allyson Ivey took advantage and laced a single right up the middle to double the Rambler lead.
 
The Crusaders capitalized on a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the fourth. A one-out single through the right side plated two and tied the contest up at two runs apiece. The Ramblers kept the damage there as Jones retired the side with a fielder's choice and a groundout.
 
The top of the fifth began with a leadoff single from Shields, cementing her 17^th two-hit game of the year. The outfielder swiped second base in the next at-bat to set the single-season program record with her 35^th stolen base of the season. Back in the lineup after a three-game absence, Madison Ebeling put the visitors back on top with a two-out single up the middle that brought Shields around from second base.
 
Looking for insurance runs in the top of the seventh, the Ramblers got exactly that by stringing together a two-out rally. With the bases loaded, Ebeling scorched a 1-1 pitch to center that scored two via a fielding error. The two extra runs proved plenty, as the Ramblers took the field with a 5-2 lead and enjoyed an innocuous bottom of the seventh. Jones sealed her 13^th win of the season with a 106-pitch complete game that improved the Ramblers to 24-20 on the campaign.
 
A Look at the Numbers
-In addition to her record-breaking stolen base, Jessica Shields picked up two hits for her 20^th multi-hit game of the season.
-Katie Kasubke's first inning single made her the fourth Rambler to tally 60 total bases this season.
-Another two-hit game from Allyson Ivey propelled her season batting average to .455. In the last five games, she's hitting .579 (11-for-19), and .600 (21-for-35) dating back to April 6.
-This is the first time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference that Loyola has swept the regular season series against two conference opponents.
 
Up Next
Loyola stays in-state and heads south to Normal for a crucial three-game series with Illinois State. The clash with the Redbirds begins Saturday afternoon with a noon-hour doubleheader, followed by one game on Sunday at 11 a.m.