GREENSBORO, N.C. (Feb. 25, 2022) – The Loyola University Chicago softball team had a weekend off following their 2-3 start at the JoAnne Graf Classic hosted by Florida State. Now, they will make their way down to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the UNCG Invitational hosted by the UNC Greensboro Spartans. 
 
During this trip, the Ramblers will take on the Spartans as well as the Bucknell University Bison, the Towson University Tigers and the University of Virginia Cavaliers. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
During their last tournament, the Ramblers took on the former No. 5 Florida State Seminoles along with Mercer University and Kennesaw State University. Loyola came out of this weekend with two wins, both earned against the Bears of Mercer. They then lost against Kennesaw State, who scored their three winning runs in the seventh inning, Florida State and Mercer, who only won by one run. The Ramblers were the only team to score any runs against the Seminoles at that time off a homerun from freshman Haley Wallace. 
 
SPARRING WITH THE SPARTANS
The hosts of this invitational, the UNCG Spartans, are having a winning start to the season. They are currently above .500 with a 5-4 record. 
 
During their first tournament in Miami, Florida, the Spartans played a top 25 team in No. 16 Tennessee while also facing Maryland and Florida International. They lost to the Vols and Panthers while they were there and split with the Terrapins. At their own tournament, they hosted Rider University and George Washington University, where UNC Greensboro was able to come out with four wins, defeating each team at least once at the hands of the mercy rule.  
 
Maycin Brown is the big hitter for the Spartans. She comes into the weekend with a .448 batting average. In these first nine games, she had 13 hits with four doubles and one home run while bringing in three runners.
 
On the mound, Morgan Scott is one of the strongest pitchers for the Spartans. Even though her ERA is a 3.03, she pitched the most innings with 32.1, striking out 28 batters and only walking 11
 
BATTLING THE BISON
Bucknell hasn't see the most success this season, but not for a lack of trying. The Bison are currently 3-5, grabbing wins over UNC Wilmington and Marist. 
 
Their biggest asset on offense is senior Nicole Rivait. The infielder has a .320 batting average, registering one run and eight hits through 35 at bats. Junior Chase Knapp is also a key contributor for the Bison with a .280 batting average. 
 
Kayla Burton has the lowest ERA for the Bison as she boasts a 1.95. She has struck out nine batters this season and only allowed 10 runs, the lowest number on her team. Pitching the most innings for the Bison is Kelly Toomey, who has the second lowest ERA with a 4.63. She pitched 22.2 innings and struck out 17 batters. 
 
In the field, the Bison are right on par. They currently have a team fielding percentage of .937, recording 144 putouts and 12 errors.
 
TAMING THE TIGERS
Towson has had a slow start to the season. They finally secured their first win against Western Carolina after losing their first eight games. They had two of their games go to extra innings this season when they played Ball State and N.C. Central. 
 
Five Tigers are hitting above .300, but the two most impressive are freshman Sydni Byers and senior Nicole Kidwiler. Byers has the best batting average on the team with a .474, scoring two home runs and adding four RBI's in her 19 at bats, while Kidwiler is hitting .360 with two home runs and three RBI's in her 25 at bats.
 
The biggest threat for Towson on the mound is senior Julia Jackson. She appeared in five of their nine games on the mound, registering a 3.33 ERA in her 21 innings. She has struck out the most batters on the team with 12 while only walking four. 
 
One of the weak points for the Tigers is their defense. They maintain a .937 fielding percentage compared to their opponents' .979. Their most efficient player in junior firstbaseman Emma Armstrong, who is perfect in the field with her 37 putouts.  
 
CLASHING WITH THE CAVALIERS
The University of Virginia is having an average start to the season. They are .500 going into this weekend with a 5-5 record, securing wins against Sacred Heart, George Washington, Lipscomb and Charleston Southern.
 
Tori Gillbert is the main offensive weapon for Virginia as she ranks in the top 25 in multiple statistical categories while hitting .333 on the season. Two other Cavaliers are hitting above .300 in their first 10 games, and they are Sarah Coon (.345) and Lauren VanAssche (.343).
 
Mikayla Houge is the best athlete on their pitching staff. She played the most innings with 26 and has a 2.15 ERA. She faced 99 batters so far this season, striking out 10 of them. Also making an impact on the mound for Virginia are Savannah Henley and Aly Rayle. These two are routine starters and struck out a combined 25 batters so far this season.
 
WHEREABOUTS
The tournament will kick off on Friday, Feb. 25, with the first game for the Ramblers being at 1:30 p.m. CT as they take on the Spartans. All of the games at this tournament will have live stats. There will also be a live stream available for the Ramblers' game against the Spartans.