FAIRFAX, Va. -- Loyola Chicago made history as the Ramblers earned the program's first-ever Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship after defeating George Mason, 10-6, in the series closer on Sunday, April 26. The Ramblers improved to 25-20 overall and 17-4 in league play, and earn the No. 1 seed in the A-10 Tournament. 

Rookie pitcher Katie Geydoshek (6-5) got the win for Loyola, going four innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out two. Her freshman counterpart Anna Kiel started the ballgame and went two shutout innings, allowing one hit, walking none and striking out two.

Coach Quote: Alicia Abbott
"This group has earned this. They've put in the work every single day, and when things get hard, they don't break, they respond. That's who they've been all year: resilient, competitive, and completely committed to each other. They don't just want to win, they want to win together, and you can feel that in how they play. They answer back. They stay in it. They trust the process and they trust one another. Nothing about this year has been about being perfect. It's about being good, being steady, and staying present in the moments that matter most. And a lot of respect for George Mason, they brought it all weekend and made us better. But I'm really proud of how we responded. We stayed the course, stayed connected, and we showed who we are: tough, together, and full of belief in each other."

How It Happened
The Ramblers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed en route to a 10-6 victory over the Patriots. Redshirt junior infielder Liz Sedakis doubled to start the scoring and plate sophomore outfielder Averi Vander Woude. George Mason leveled the score in the bottom of the first before Loyola exploded for four runs in the third frame, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of sophomore shortstop Alli Pawlowicz and a two-run single from Sedakis.

The Ramblers increased their lead to 8-1 in the following two innings and held the Patriots scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. George Mason got within 8-6 until Loyola scored again in the seventh inning to stretch its lead to 10-6, thanks to  a big hit RBI double from freshman Alexis Hansen. 

Inside the Box Score

• Four Ramblers had multiple hits in the ballgame: Sedakis (3), Pawlowicz (2), Hansen (2), Sierra Sass (2). 
• The Ramblers out-hit the Patriots at a 13-9 clip.
• Loyola went 5-for-14 (.357) with runners in scoring position.
• The Ramblers drew five walks from the Patriots' pitching.
• Loyola's regular season championship marks the program's eighth overall and fifth outright. 

Up Next
Loyola closes out the regular season at home against Fordham on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2. The Ramblers will celebrate the three seniors after game three.