April 8, 2008

Box Score

CHICAGO - Loyola University Chicago (11-15) used a three-run first inning to take control and held on for a 4-3 victory over Northern Illinois (5-18) this afternoon at a soggy Loyola Softball Park. Game two of today's doubleheader started in a steady rain and was called after the top of the first inning due to unplayable field conditions.

Northern Illinois jumped on the board in the top of the first inning when Jenna Roberts' suicide squeeze scored Krista McPherson, who had led off the game with a single after an epic 11-pitch battle with Loyola starter Amy Solava. That lead would be short-lived however, as Loyola countered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, with the big blow coming on Angie Funston's two-run double with no outs. Later in the inning, Nora Schober's squeeze plated Funston, to give the Ramblers a 3-1 edge.

The game remained that way until the bottom of the fourth inning when Haley Ambrosch crushed a mammoth home run over the fence in left field to give Loyola a 4-1 advantage.

Northern Illinois mounted a final threat in the top of the seventh inning by loading the bases with no outs before lightning and rain forced a 30-minute delay. When play resumed, Solava retired McPherson, but a pair of Rambler errors allowed two runs to score a batter later as NIU cut the lead to 4-3 and had runners on second and third with only one out.

Solava was at her best in crunch time, retiring the next two Huskie batters, on a ground out to third and a fly out to right, respectively, to preserve the victory, as the Ramblers won their fourth straight game at Loyola Softball Park.

Funston finished the day 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI, while Solava yielded only one earned run and struck out four in the complete-game effort.

The Ramblers are back in action Thursday, April 10, when they travel to Green Bay for a doubleheader.