MURRAY, Ky. (February 25, 2023) – The Loyola University Chicago softball team (3-9) dropped both ends of Saturday's doubleheader at the Velvet Milkman Invitational, falling 7-3 to Miami (OH) and 2-0 against Murray State.
Game 1 // Miami (OH) 7, Loyola 3
Madison Ebeling (2-4, HR) homered in the fifth inning and the Ramblers pushed a run across in each of the first and sixth frames, but it wasn't enough to overcome a six-run third from Miami (OH).
Loyola jumped up 1-0 on
Sydney Barnett's RBI ground out in the bottom of the first, but it was all the Ramblers could score after missing an opportunity to add to the lead as the first three batters reached base.
Back-to-back singles by Ebeling and
Hannah Nalley spelled a hot start for the Rambler bats, then
Amelia Thomas was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. But a force out at the plate cut down a run, Barnett followed with a ground out, and then a strikeout ended the frame with two in scoring position.
Miami leveled the score with a run in the next half inning, before tacking on six runs in the third. The RedHawk rally was capped by a two-run blast from third-baseman Karli Spaid (2-3, 3 RBI).
The Ramblers managed just two hits the rest of the way, including Ebeling's 12th career home run in the fifth and a leadoff single from
Riley Owens in the seventh. Ebeling's blast made the score 7-2 before another RBI ground out from
Abbie Gregus cut the deficit to 7-3 in the sixth, where the Ramblers left two more runners stranded.
Starter
Andie Broniewicz was tagged with the loss for the Ramblers, as
Peyton Pepkowski closed out the game in the circle with seven strikeouts in four-and-two-thirds. The RedHawks totaled eight hits with five going for extra bases.
Miami's Brianna Pratt improved to 4-1 in the circle, allowing three runs on four hits and eight strikeouts.
Game 2 // Murray State 2, Loyola 0
Broniewicz came back in Game 2 and fired five-and-two-thirds of shutout ball, coming up clutch in several key moments against the heart of Murray State's lineup.
However, the Racers got the timely hit when catcher Taylor Jackson homered following a two-out walk in the bottom of the sixth.
The Ramblers were held scoreless for the first time this season and were limited to five hits.
Barnett went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles, while
Tori Boysen (1-3),
Haley Wallace (1-3), and
Ava Bieneman (1-2) collected a base knock. Boysen doubled in the fifth inning after a leadoff single from Barnett, but the Ramblers couldn't capitalize.
Murray State totaled eight hits including pair of knocks from center fielder Erin Lackey. The Racers' starting pitcher Jenna Veber struck out a pair and didn't surrender a walk in the complete-game victory.
Up Next
Loyola returns to the field tomorrow for another doubleheader against Ball State and Miami (OH), with Game 1 against the Cardinals scheduled for 10 a.m. CT.