SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (April 25, 2021)
 
In Short
Tess Weakly went 4-for-4, driving in two runs, and Grace Johnston tossed a three-hit shutout, to power Missouri State (21-15, 12-5 MVC) to a 7-0 victory over Loyola University Chicago (10-24, 6-12 MVC) in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Killian Stadium this afternoon. Despite the loss, Loyola junior shortstop Madison Ebeling ran her hitting streak to a career-best 10 games with a sixth-inning single.
 
How It Happened
A two-out rally got Missouri State on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Tess Weakly's base hit up the middle was followed by a double off the bat of Olivia Krehbiel, which sent Weakly scurrying around the bases to score and give the Bears a 1-0 edge. Loyola lefthander Madison Veres' defense helped prevent a bigger inning for MSU when Caitlin Engelking fired a dart from left field to mow down Krehbiel at the plate as she was trying to score on Darian Frost's single.
 
A three-run fifth put the game out of reach, with the Bears tallying four hits off a pair of Rambler pitchers in the inning. The first two runs came across on a Loyola error and another came home on Frost's sacrifice fly. 
 
Missouri State hung three more insurance runs in the board in the bottom half of the sixth, with the big blow coming on a two-run single by Weakly. 
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Ebeling, Amelia Thomas and Abby Brown tallied the Ramblers' three hits on the day.
• Johnston struck out five Ramblers and did not issue a walk in a complete-game shutout.
• Missouri State's top three hitters in the batting order – Plummer, Weakly and Krehbiel - combined to go 9-for-12 with four RBI.

 
Up Next
Loyola plays a doubleheader at Valparaiso on Wednesday (April 28). First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. CT.