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Loyola University Chicago Athletics

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Sydney Ruggles
2
Winner Indiana State INS 19-25, 12-13 MVC
1
Loyola Chicago LUC 10-28, 6-16 MVC
Winner
Indiana State INS
19-25, 12-13 MVC
2
Final
1
Loyola Chicago LUC
10-28, 6-16 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Indiana State INS 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 6 0
Loyola Chicago LUC 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0

W: Blankenship, Arielle (5-2) L: Ruggles, Sydney (5-15)

Game Recap: Softball |

Indiana State Slips By Loyola, 2-1, In Series Opener

Ruggles strikes out 12 as Ramblers drop heartbreaker

CHICAGO (May 7, 2021)
 
In Short
Amanda Guercio's home run to lead off the 10th inning provided the winning margin as Indiana State (19-25, 12-13 MVC) slipped past host Loyola University Chicago (10-28, 6-16 MVC), 2-1, in the first game of a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Loyola Softball Park. The loss spoiled a terrific effort from Ramblers starter Sydney Ruggles, who tossed 9.0 innings and struck out 12 Sycamores.
 
How It Happened
Loyola took the lead in the first inning on Amelia Thomas' two-out RBI double down the left field line that scored Madison Ebeling, who started things with a lead-off walk. 
 
Indiana State got that run right back in the top of the second however, when Lexie Siwek punched a fly ball down the left field line that was just out of the reach of a diving Caitlin Engelking. The ball skipped past Engelking and rolled to the corner, allowing Siwek to scamper around the bases for an inside-the-park home run to knot the score at 1-1.
 
From that point forward, the game was a pitcher's duel, although both squads had a handful of opportunities to take the lead, but were unable to come up with a timely hit. 
 
Loyola tried to mount a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth inning, putting two runners on thanks to a Teagan Sopczak walk and a Katie Polaski infield hit, but Indiana State reliever Arielle Blankenship, who entered the game at the start of the inning, worked out of trouble.
 
Back-to-back walks to Olivia Patton and Bella Peterson put Sycamores at first and second with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Ruggles induced a fly ball off the bat of Isabella Henning to keep the score deadlocked at 1-1.
 
Indiana State finally broke through in the top of the 10th when Guercio walloped her game-winning home run over the fence in left center.
 
A Look at the Numbers
  • Ruggles struck out double-digit batters for the third time this season and second time in her last three starts, finishing with 12 punchouts in 9.0 innings. The junior right-hander scattered five hits and allowed only two earned runs in a hard-luck loss.
  • Ebeling reached base safely for the 14th straight outing, drawing a pair of walks.
  • Sopczak finished with a pair of hits for a Loyola offense that mustered five hits off two Indiana State pitchers.
  • Peterson and Siwek tallied two hits apiece for the Sycamores, with Peterson also drawing three walks to reach base safely in all five of her plate appearances.
 
Up Next
Game two of the doubleheader will start at approximately 2:45 p.m. CT.
 
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