May 8, 2008

Box Score

CHICAGO - Lindsay O'Gean and Angie Funston each tallied a pair of hits to help No. 4 seed Loyola University Chicago (19-23-1) to a 5-2 victory over ninth-seeded Detroit (11-27) this afternoon at Loyola Softball Park in the opening round of the Horizon League Championship. With the win, the Ramblers advance to face No. 3 seed Wright State in the winners bracket tonight at 8 p.m. at Loyola Softball Park.

Detroit struck first, scoring a run in the top of the first inning on Courtney Gill's RBI single, but despite having the bases loaded with no outs, the Titans were unable to do further damage against Loyola starter Krista Crosson who masterfully got out of the early jam.

The Ramblers seemed to carry that momentum from the defensive side to the plate, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Nora Schober delivered an RBI single to tie the game and later scored on a wild pitch to give Loyola a lead it would never surrender. In the bottom of the second, O'Gean's single to left field scored Bridget Lally and Ellen Kresl's infield hit an inning later scored another run as Loyola increased its lead to 4-1.

Detroit cut the Ramblers' lead to 4-2 with a run in the fourth, but an RBI single by Haley Ambrosch in the fifth gave LU an insurance run and built the advantage back to three runs at 5-2.

Crosson earned the win for Loyola by scattering six hits in the complete-game effort.

In other first-round action at Loyola,Softball Park today, Green Bay knocked off Butler (6-0) and UIC topped Youngstown State (7-0).