VALPARAISO, Ind. (April 20, 2022) – The Loyola University Chicago softball team is back in action after a short break to take on Valparaiso University for a Missouri Valley Conference double header. The team will make the trip to Indiana to take on the Beacons, who the Ramblers beat in their last four contests.
LAST TIME OUT
The Ramblers took on the Illinois State Redbirds, who are currently third in the Valley standings. After the three-game series, Loyola took the series for the first time in school history as it took two of the three games.
Peyton Pepkowski reached her 100th career strikeout while
Madison Ebeling earned her third home run of the season.
BEATING THE BEACONS
Valparaiso had a strong start to the regular season. They went 9-10 prior to the start of Valley play, giving them some momentum before starting in this tough league. But since the Beacons got back into the Valley, they haven't had the same luck, only grabbing one win this season over Indiana State.
Senior Peyton Moeder is leading the offensive efforts for the Beacons. She currently has a .327 batting average on the season, also putting up eight RBI's.
Leading the team in RBI's is junior Ryan Mikowski. She has 15 of those while also adding on two home runs.
The pitching staff has a 5.17 ERA, with one extreme outlier. Easton Seib leads the team with a 3.94 ERA with a team-high 54 strikeouts this year. Cheyenne Nietz and Caitlyn Kowalshi are also key contributors with 32 and 31 strikeouts, respectively.
The Beacons have a .956 fielding percentage, which is low compared to their opponents' .964. The key defensive player has been senior Kate Beckenmeyer, who has the most putouts by far with 179 with only two errors for a .989 fielding percentage.
Coach Amanda Eberhart is in her first season with the Beacons. She played her collegiate career at UIC.
WHEREABOUTS
These two Valley teams will face off in Valparaiso, Indiana, at the Valpo Softball Complex. First pitch will be at 1 p.m. with the second game of the double header to follow. All of the games will have live stats and live streams will be available through ESPN+.
