CHICAGO (April 15, 2023) - Loyola (16-19, 10-4) returned home in sweeping fashion Saturday. The Ramblers downed George Washington in both games for a 2-0 edge in the regular season series. Peyton Pepkowski dealt eight strikeouts helping Loyola to a 1-0 shutout in game one, while the Ramblers woke up their bats in game two for an 8-2 win.

Game One // Loyola 1, GW 0
The game was won in the first inning for Loyola in Saturday's opener. Ritchie may have tallied the first hit of the game for GW in the lead off slot, but Amelia Thomas had an answer in the bottom frame. Thomas turned a 2-2 count into a RBI triple plating Madison Ebeling who was walked in the first at-bat. It was quickly 1-0 to the Ramblers.

Neither team recorded another hit until the fifth inning. Teagan Sopczak put down a bunt to an unsuspecting defense and reached first before a play could be made. Sydney Barnett and Haley Wallace made it a two-hit sixth, but both were stranded and left on base. 

GW had a last ditch effort in the seventh with a double down the left field line but couldn't convert, and Loyola hung on for a 1-0 win.

Game Two // Loyola 8, GW 2
The Ramblers pulled ahead right off the bat in the first inning, 1-0. Nalley sparked the offense with a double down the left field line and went on to score on a infield single from Barnett.

It wasn't until the sixth inning when Loyola blew open the lead. The bases were loaded with no outs following back-to-back singles from Nalley and Thomas. Barnett walked to fill the final base. Abbie Gregus and Jocelyn Currie then made an impact with pinch hitting. Gregus found a gap in the right side to plate two, while Currie singled to right center for another Loyola run. A Spoczak single and wild pitch scored the final two runs of the inning, and the Ramblers led 6-0.

The Colonials weren't going to be shutout again and responded with their lone two runs of the game. Corpuz doubled on the first pitch of the fifth, while Torres hit her in with a two-run homer on the next at-bat.

The Ramblers erased the progress with a stolen base in the bottom of the fifth, and a Thomas RBI double in the sixth for an 8-2 win.

Inside the Box Score
- In the first game, the Ramblers combined for four hits.
- Sopczak was 1-for-1 to lead on average.
- Ebeling tallied a stolen base.
- Pepkowski retired eight batters in her ninth win of the season.
- This marks the second straight year Pepkowski has surpassed 100 strikeouts in a single season.
- The Ramblers totaled 10 hits inn game two.
- Nalley and Thomas went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Thomas added one RBI.
- Gregus led the Ramblers with two RBI.
- Ebeling, Thomas, Gregus, and Nova Sinskul stole bases for Loyola.
- Andie Broniewicz earned her sixth with in the circle. She struck out three in five innings.
- Bailey Johnson finished the final two innings.

Up Next
The Ramblers and Colonials will close the series Sunday. First pitch has been moved up to 11 a.m. due to weather.