(Photo Courtesy of Loyola Chicago Athletics)
Rosemont, Ill. – The Loyola University Chicago softball team could not overcome a two-run fifth inning by IUPUI in their final game of the Total Control Sports Invitational in Rosemont, Ill., today, suffering a 5-2 defeat to the Jaguars. With the loss, the Ramblers fall to 1-3, while IUPUI improves to 2-3.
Amanda Ciran was lights out for Loyola in the top of the first, allowing only one hit and striking out three IUPUI hitters. In the bottom of the frame, Erica Nagel and Lauren Moore hit back-to-back singles, but a strikeout and a groundout halted the Loyola momentum.
Two walks to start off the second inning brought Brittany Gardner onto the mound in relief of Ciran. After a third walk loaded the bases for the Jaguars, IUPUI lead off hitter Alyssa Neff singled into center field to score two.
In the bottom of the second, Brie Pasquale was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Annie Korth followed it up with a bloop single over the head of the IUPUI third baseman. A Jacquelyn Murphy sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third. Olivia Bell then stepped to the plate and pounded a single up the middle to plate both Pasquale and Korth, tying the score at 2-all.
An Angela Bartucci base hit led off the fourth inning, followed by a Lindsey Richards walk. After pinch hitter Taylor Chitwood was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Neff singled to left field to drive in one run, her third RBI of the game.
Korth was hit by a pitch to start off the bottom of the fourth for the Ramblers, but a strikeout and two groundouts kept her stranded.
In the top of the fifth, Ashley Rogers stepped on the mound in relief for Gardner. IUPUI’s Sarah Lawrence walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a Roni Patterson single. After an Ali Mosier flyout to right, Bartucci singled to center to score Lawrence. An error on a Maggie Good grounder loaded the bases, and a Lindsey Richards sacrifice fly scored another.
The Ramblers were unable to find an offensive spark throughout the rest of the game. In the bottom of the seventh, Mannucci tattoed a ball straight into the glove of the center fielder for the first out of the inning, and was followed by a Nagel flyout and a Moore groundout.
Gardner takes the loss with three hits, one run, and three strikeouts in three innings pitched.
Olivia Bell finished 1-for-3 with two RBI, while four other Ramblers also contributed one hit a piece.
Loyola returns to action next weekend when it travels to the Tiger Invitational in Auburn, Ala. The Ramblers will begin play on Feb. 14 when they take on Omaha at 1:00 p.m. and Auburn at 7:30 p.m.
