CHICAGO – Loyola Chicago is set for Fordham at home this weekend. The Ramblers and Rams conclude the 2024 regular season with a three-game series at Loyola Softball Park. Saturday will be a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. with Senior Day to follow on Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
The Ramblers will honor seven seniors following Sunday's game.
 
Quick Hits
• The Ramblers went 2-1 last weekend after handing the Hawks back-to-back losses in Philadelphia. Saint Joseph's took game one 2-1, while Loyola rallied for two straight wins. The losses at home marked the first for SJU on their home turf.
• Loyola has won nine of its last 11 games. The 9-2 streak includes series sweeps over UMass and St. Bonaventure. The Ramblers have series wins vs. Rhode Island and Saint Joseph's and split a doubleheader with Saint Louis.
• Over the 11 games, Sydney Barnett is hitting .538. She has 14 hits, including two doubles and four home runs. Barnett brought in 12 RBI and scored seven times.
• Ava Bieneman and Liz Sedakis also have double-digit hits during the stretch. Bieneman is hitting .364 with 12 hits, while Sedakis has 11 hits batting .324.
• Peyton Pepkowski started six of the 11 games and is 3-1 in the circle. She has a 1.06 ERA, a shutout, one save, and 46 strikeouts during the stretch.
• Overall, Barnett leads Loyola batting .369. She ranks third in the league in batting average. Her 44 RBI sits second, while her 12 homers ties first.
• Barnett needs two more home runs to break the single-season record, while 10 more RBI would also set a new single-season best for the program.
• Pepkowski's season strikeout total is up to 162, which leads the A-10 by 44. She ranks fourth in ERA (2.56), first in innings pitched (155.2), second in opponent batting average (.206), and first in shutouts (7).
• Head coach Alicia Abbott is in her fifth season at the helm. She has 94 wins with the Ramblers. This marks the second 20-win season for the Ramblers with her guidance.
 
Scouting Fordham
The Rams enter the final weekend of play at 24-26 overall and 14-9 in the league. Loyola and Fordham are tied third in the standings and are still competing for a first-round bye in the tournament next week. The Rams have the second-best batting average in the league (.288), while their 390 hits, 91 doubles, 216 RBI, and 239 runs lead the A-10.
 
Neleh Nogay leads the Rams at the plate batting .348 this season. She has 48 hits, including four doubles and a triple. Bailey Enoch's 17 doubles this year are a league high. In the circle, Devon Miller has tossed over 139 innings and sits at 11-7. She holds a 3.06 ERA and has struck out 118 batters for second in the A-10.
 
Melissa Inouye is in her sixth season leading the Rams. She has compiled a 147-124-1 record at the helm.