CARBONDALE, Ill. (March 4, 2023)
 
In Short…
The Loyola University Chicago softball team (3-13) dropped both games of Saturday's doubleheader at the Saluki Invitational, with a 9-2 final against Butler (4-13) in Game 1 and 6-2 decision against the host Southern Illinois (11-2) in Game 2 at Charlotte West Stadium.

Game 1 // Butler 9, Loyola 2

Butler plated three runs in the second inning after a one-out triple started a rally, and tacked on six more combined across the final three frames.

Amelia Thomas put Loyola on the board with a sacrifice fly in the third, which plated Teagan Sopczak after she led off the inning with an infield single.

Sydney Barnett connected on her first home run of the season in the sixth, but it was too little too late for the Ramblers.

Back-to-back RBI hits with two outs in the fifth put the Bulldogs ahead 6-1, before Butler added a two-out, two-run double in the sixth for an 8-1 lead.

Barnett's solo blast made the score 8-2, before a solo shot from Monique Hoosen put the Bulldogs up 9-2 in the last inning. Hoosen went 3 for 4 on the day with a home run, triple and two RBI.

 The Bulldogs outhit the Ramblers 12-4 in the contest as Thomas, Sopczak, Barnett and Riley Owens each collected a base hit.

Andie Broniewicz went the distance in the circle for Loyola, recording a pair of strikeouts with three walks in seven innings of work.
 
Game 2 // Southern Illinois 6, Loyola 2
 
Southern Illinois put up a four spot in the third and added two more runs after Loyola cut the deficit to two in the sixth.

Haley Wallace produced both runs for the Ramblers with an RBI single in each of her final pair of at-bats. Thomas notched a double in the fourth inning as Wallace followed up with a single down the left field line.

In the sixth, Loyola drew three straight walks before Wallace connected on another RBI base knock to cut the SIU lead to 4-2. The Ramblers were still threatening with no outs in the frame, but a hard-hit liner off the bat of Tori Boysen went directly at the third baseman which turned into a double play.

The Salukis answered in the next half inning with back-to-back RBI doubles to extend the lead back to four at 6-2.

SIU went hitless against Peyton Pepkowski until a bunt single in the third inning. An error on a sac bunt attempt led to runners in scoring position as Elizabeth Warwick singled in the next at-bat to give the hosts the first lead of the game. The Salukis would add three more runs on another error, hit by pitch and walk for the 4-0 lead. Warwick reached base four times, going 2 for 2 with a pair of walks and two RBI.

Wallace (2 for 3) recorded her third multi-hit outing and team-high second multi-RBI game of the season. Thomas, Owens and Sierra Sass each recorded a base hit as the Ramblers were outhit 6-5.

Pepkowski struck out six batters and walked five across six innings inside the circle.

Up Next
Loyola takes on Butler in the same start time Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. CT, before closing out the weekend against UT Martin in the second game of the doubleheader.