CHICAGO – Loyola Chicago split Wednesday's Atlantic 10 doubleheader vs. Saint Louis. The Ramblers took game one 6-3, while the Billikens rallied winning game two 6-3.
 
With the split, Loyola sits at 20-20 overall and 9-8 in league play.
 
"We played well today and I'm proud of our fight," said head coach Alicia Abbott. "We were a little late pushing runs across, but I thought our at-bats were better as a whole throughout the day today."
 
Game One: Loyola 6, Saint Louis 3
The Ramblers got ahead early in the second inning with smart base running. They gained an early runner on a Liz Sedakis single to the pitcher. She stole second and got to third on a wild pitch. Sedakis then gave Loyola a 1-0 edge as she scored on a throwing error at the plate.
 
It wasn't long until the Billikens knotted the game 1-1. Mallo was in the lead-off spot to start the third and was sent to first after being hit by a pitch. A Ulsas triple brought her home to tie it. Ulsas was brought in on the next at-bat as Sullivan singled to center for a 2-1 lead.
 
The one-run lead held until the bottom of the fifth when the Ramblers plated their remaining five runs. Sedakis struck again with a two-run single to left field. Hannah Nalley followed suit with a two-run single to center. Loyola's final run found home on a fielding error in right field.
 
The Billikens attempted a late rally as Abbott doubled to plate Jany, but Loyola retired the next two batters to escape, 6-3.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Loyola tallied nine hits.
- Bieneman, Sedakis, and Nalley tallied two each.
- Sedakis scored twice and brought two in.
- Katie Mitchell, Sedakis, Nalley, and Sopczak had stolen bases.
- Peyton Pepkowski struck out nine through the first six innings, picking up her 11^th win.
- Maddy Hickey retired on in the final inning.
 
Game Two: Saint Louis 6, Loyola 3
The nightcap got off to a slow start with the teams combining for just four hits through the fourth inning. The Billikens found a breakthrough in the fifth. Despite two outs, Johnson placed a single through the left side, while Ulsas joined her on base after being hit. Sullivan tripled to plate both, and SLU led 2-0.
 
SLU tacked on two more in the sixth with a Mallo homer over the left field fence bringing Rhine home with her.
 
The Ramblers found a sixth inning spark to pull within one. Bieneman led off with a single, while Haley Wallace walked in the next at-bat. Barnett sent a deep ball to right giving Bieneman time to tag up and make it home. Sedkais then hit a RBI triple, and she went on to score on a Nalley sac fly to trail 4-3 at the end of the inning.
 
SLU used another three hits in the seventh to tally two more runs. The Ramblers would load the bases in the bottom frame to threaten a walk-off, but the Billikens held on to win 6-3.
 
Inside the Box Score
- The Ramblers tallied six hits.
- Bieneman and Sedakis had two each.
- Andie Broniewicz pitched a complete game and tallied two strikeouts.
 
Up Next
Loyola closes an eight-game homestand with UMass this weekend. First pitch is 12 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at Loyola Softball Park.