CHICAGO (April 16, 2021)
In Short
Northern Iowa (20-13, 10-3 MVC) scored two runs early then held off a late Loyola University Chicago (7-21, 3-9 MVC) comeback to pick up a 4-2 victory in game one of a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Loyola Softball Park. The win was the Panthers' ninth straight.
How It Happened
Single runs in the first and second innings gave Northern Iowa control of the game from the outset and the Panthers hung two more runs on the board in the fourth inning for a 4-0 advantage.
Sammey Bunch wasted little time in getting the Panthers' going in the first inning, reaching on an infield single before stealing second base and moving up a base on a throwing error. Adara Opiola's single up the middle scored Bunch for a 1-0 lead and the Panthers added another tally in the second on Madison Parks' sacrifice fly.
Meanwhile, UNI starter Erica Oler stifled the Loyola bats, striking out eight of the first nine batters she faced and it wasn't until
Allyson Ivey cracked a long double to center field with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning that the Ramblers collected their first hit off the righthander.
UNI tallied a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fourth thanks to a Kamryn Shaffer solo home run to left and a run-scoring double by Bunch to extend its lead to 4-0 before Loyola was finally able to get to Oler in the bottom of the sixth.
Singles from
Madison Ebeling and Ivey got a rally cooking for Loyola and
Sydney Barnett's squeeze bunt brought home Ebeling for Loyola's first run of the outing.
Amelia Thomas followed with a single through the left side that scored pinch runner
Sophia Remsik and brought the go-ahead run to the plate.
However, Northern Iowa reliever Hailey Sanders entered the contest and slammed the door on Loyola's rally by getting
Teagan Sopczak to fly out before striking out
Jocelyn Currie to put an end to the threat.
A Look at the Numbers
- Ivey went 2-for-3 for Loyola, which notched all six of its hits in the final four innings.
- Sydney Ruggles struck out five in 4.1 innings of work but was saddled with the loss., while Bri Clifton was solid in relief, allowing one hit in 2.2 innings pitched.
- Bunch and Opiola tallied a pair of hits apiece for the Panthers
Up Next
Loyola and UNI play game two of the twin bill today at 2:45 p.m. CT.