ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Loyola Chicago softball shutout St. Bonaventure twice in Saturday's doubleheader. The Ramblers took game one at 5-0 and followed up winning 6-0 in game two. It marks Loyola seventh straight win and fourth shutout during that stretch.
The Ramblers improve to 11-24 overall and 6-5 in A-10 play.
"It's always a great day when you show up with a pair of shutouts.," said head coach
Alicia Abbott. "We did a great job staying calm in some high-pressure moments where we needed to execute and did, both offensively and defensively. I'm hopeful we can keep inching forward tomorrow to take us into this next week."
Game One: Loyola 5. St. Bonaventure 0
Loyola tallied a pair of hits in the first and third, but it wasn't until the fourth inning when the Rambler bats came alive.
Haley Wallace and
Nat Lesnicki went for back-to-back singles to open the top, setting up
Maddy Hickey for a three-run blast to left field.
Alli Pawlowicz also doubled in the fourth, and Loyola led 3-0 despite a lead-off single by the Bonnies.
The Ramblers added two more to the board in the fifth.
Riley Owens and Wallace got on base with consecutive base-hits, while Lesnicki placed a double in right center to plate both runners. SBU couldn't register another hit in the remaining three innings, and Loyola won, 5-0.
Inside the Box Score
- Owens, Wallace, and Lesnicki all finished 2-4 at the plate.
- Wallace scored two of the five runs.
- Hickey led with three RBI, and Lesnicki tallied two.
- Sierra Sass and Katie Mitchell recorded stolen bases.
- Peyton Pepkowski picked up her fifth win in the circle and retired season-high 11 batters. It's her second game with 10 or more strikeouts this season.
Game Two: Loyola 6, St. Bonaventure 0
The Ramblers didn't waste time in game two getting on the board early in the first. Sass had a lead-off walk and stole her way to third before scoring on an error. Two more Rambler runs would cross home on a fielding error, giving Loyola a 3-0 edge to open.
Loyola held off a combined eight base runners over the next three innings before adding a run in the fourth. Pawlowicz sent a solo homer to left center for one of two hits in the inning to put Loyola ahead, 4-0.
The Ramblers weren't done, loading the bases in the top of the sixth with a pair of singles and walk. Owens sent a sac fly to center, scoring
Skyler Croker for Loyola's fifth run. Mitchell sealed the 6-0 win with the final run in the seventh. SBU made a play on a steal at second, opening the path for Mitchell at home. The Bonnies stranded one in the bottom of the seventh, handing the Ramblers the win.
Inside the Box Score
- Croker and Pawlowicz led the Ramblers with two hits each.
- With one hit, Wallace extends her hitting streak to five straight games.
- Pawlowicz is also on a five-game hitting streak and has two games with home runs in that stretch.
- Sass and Mitchell tallied another two stolen bases each.
- Andie Broniewicz improves to 6-6 in the circle. She struck out seven batters.
Up Next
Loyola and St. Bonaventure wrap up the series Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.
