CHICAGO (April 21, 2023) - The Ramblers (17-21, 11-6) return home after a quick trip to Saint Louis to host Rhode Island Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single-game will both start at noon. The games can be streamed on ESPN+.
LEADING OFF
• Loyola will conclude a five-game week with a three-game series this weekend against Rhode Island on its home turf. The Ramblers look to bounce back after dropping two at Saint Louis earlier this week.
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Peyton Pepkowski recorded a 1-0 shutout in the circle for Loyola last weekend against George Washington. She also struck out 16 batters over her two appearances, and for the second straight year, Pepkowski recorded at least 100 Ks.
• Pepkowski is up to 122 total strikeouts this season. She is fourth on the A-10 leader boards in the category and ranks 59th in the nation.
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Amelia Thomas made an impact at the plate against GW. She led Loyola hitting .667 (6-of-9). Thomas plated the winning run in game one with a RBI triple. She added two hits, two runs, and a RBI in game two. Thomas capped the weekend going 3-for-3 with a double and triple in game three. She scored three runs.
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Haley Wallace and
Hannah Nalley are both on three-game hitting streaks. Wallace has a single hit in each of the last three games played. Nalley sparked her streak with a 2-for-3 outing vs. George Washington, which included a double.
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Madison Ebeling is still one of the toughest to strikeout in the league ranking third. She is 74th in the NCAA. Ebeling has only gone down six times at the plate this season.
• Loyola's pitching staff ranks third in the A-10 and in the NCAA top-100 in ERA. The three Ramblers are combined at 2.94 for the season.
• Head coach
Alicia Abbott is in her fourth year at the helm. During her tenure, the Ramblers are 59-87.
SCOUTING THE RHODE ISLAND RAMS
The Rams haven't won a game in their last six outings. The closest they came to was a 2-2 draw in the sixth inning at Holy Cross earlier this week. Overall, Rhode Island sits at 16-24-1 with a 6-8 record in A-10 play. The Rams have series wins at George Washington and Fordham before being swept by Dayton in their last weekend of A-10 action. As a squad, the Rams are hitting 253 over 41 games. The pitchers hold a combined 4.19 ERA.
RAMS TO WATCH
• Skyler Rapuano leads URI hitting .298. She had 28 total hits, including a team leading nine doubles. Rapuano adds one home run, 17 runs, 13 RBI, and five stolen bases. She recorded a season-best outing at GW going 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI.
• Rachel Zingerman has a team-high 30 hits and three home runs. She also has four triples and six doubles. Zingerman has brough in 11 RBI and 18 runs scored. She's one of the most aggressive on the bases for the Rams with 14 stolen bases.
• URI has looked to eight different pitchers this season, with Katie Zaun leading the way Over 26 appearances, she's made 17 starts, pitched five complete games, and recorded a pair of saves and shutouts. Zaun has a 3.09 ERA with 96 strikeouts over 108.2 innings of work. She sits at 7-10 on the year.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the first meeting between the Ramblers and Rams.
