SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (May 12, 2022) – Following a thrilling shutout for the Loyola University Chicago softball team, the Ramblers are ready to take on Day 2 of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Today, the No. 8 Maroon and Gold will play the No. 5 Bradley University Braves to see who moves on to the next round. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
To start of postseason play, the Ramblers took on the University of Evansville Purple Aces. Loyola struck first, getting three strikes right off the bat followed by a run in the first to secure the early lead. From there, the Ramblers could not be stopped as they ultimately defeated Evansville 5-0.
 
BATTLING THE BRAVES
Bradley University ended the regular season as the No. 5 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 13-14 record. Its final series of the season was against the University of Northern Iowa. The Braves were able to steal a game from this top-ranked team over the weekend to solidify the No. 5 seed. 
 
By the end of the season, the Braves were one of the best teams in the NCAA for making double plays happen. Bradley is 24th in the nation and No. 1 in the Valley as they average .44 per game. They are also tied in the top spot with one triple play. 
 
Freshman Abbott Badgley has made the biggest impact for this Braves offense. She leads the team with a .342 batting average while bringing in 25 runs. She also has the most home runs on her team with six. 
 
Overall, this pitching staff has a 4.13 ERA. The strongest pitcher for the Braves is senior Grace French. She has the lowest ERA with a 3.32 while registering the most strikeouts on this staff with 75.
 
Freshman Katie Pederson has the most putouts on the team, recording 321 on the season. She also has one of the best fielding percentages with a .991. Fellow freshman shortstop Addie Welsh has helped out the most on defense as the currently has 133 assists. 
 
WHEREABOUTS
The Ramblers will hit the field against the Braves with an 11 a.m. first pitch at the Killian Sports Complex in Springfield, Missouri. Live stats and a stream through ESPN+ will be available. The winner of this contest will move on to face No. 4 Drake later in the day.