CHICAGO (May 5, 2021) - Loyola University Chicago (10-27, 6-15 MVC) closes out the 2021 regular season this weekend with a three-game series versus Indiana State (18-25, 11-13 MVC) at Loyola Softball Park. The Ramblers, who have not lost at home to the Sycamores since 2015, are looking to get their offense going again. After scoring 23 total runs (5.8 per game) in its previous four contests, Loyola has generated just three runs (0.6 per game) in the last five outings and has dropped each of the last five games. Loyola has not won fewer than 12 games in a season since 1990, when it went 4-28.

Senior first baseman Allyson Ivey has hit safely in 10 of Loyola's 11 games at home this season, and is batting a whopping .500 (16-for-32) with five doubles, two home runs and five RBI at Loyola Softball Park this spring. In addition, she owns an impressive .500/.600/.844 slash line at home in 2021. Ivey is 6-for-11 with two home runs, a double and a staggering 10 RBI in her last four games versus Indiana State.

In Loyola's last three games in Rogers Park, senior outfielder Caitlin Engelking is batting .556 (5-for-9) with three doubles.

Over her last two starts at Loyola Softball Park, junior right-hander Sydney Ruggles has struck out 13 batters, scattered nine hits and not allowed an earned run over 11.0 innings pitched. Ruggles has been sensational in her last six appearances, posting a 1.95 ERA with 43 punchouts in 32.1 innings of work, while yielding only 25 hits. During that six-appearance stretch, the Carpentersville, Ill., native has lowered her ERA nearly half a run, from 3.83 to 3.37.

Catcher Abbey Jacobsen has hit safely in each of her last five appearances at Loyola Softball Park, batting .429 (6-for-14) during that stretch. All 23 of her hits in 2021 have been singles. 

Madison Ebeling is batting .458 (11-for-24) with four RBI in her last seven games at Loyola Softball Park, and the junior shortstop brings a seven-game hitting streak at home into this weekend's series with Indiana State. She has reached base safely in each of the Ramblers' last 13 games overall.

Loyola – Indiana State – The Series

Loyola and Indiana State are meeting for the 23rd time in a series that dates back to 1993 and the Ramblers hold a 12-10 edge in the all-time series and have captured seven of the last ten meetings between the teams. Loyola has won eight of the nine previous match-ups between the teams at Loyola Softball Park and Indiana State has not won in Rogers Park since a 9-6 decision on April 15, 2015. Loyola swept the three-game regular-season series from ISU in 2019 and scored 27 runs in the final two games of that series. However, the Sycamores pulled out an 11-8 victory in the MVC Tournament in 2019 in the last meeting between the clubs.

Scouting Indiana State

The Sycamores have dropped four of their last five, and six of their last eight, contests and are coming off an 8-7 loss to Missouri State last Sunday. Playing away from home has not been an issue for Indiana State, which is 12-10 in true road games overall and 9-4 in its last 13 outings on the road. One of the top hitting teams in The Valley, Indiana State sports a team .274 average and is led by infielder Lexie Siwek, who is batting .385 (42-for-109), and rightfielder Bella Peterson, who has belted seven home runs and has 39 RBI, while hitting .345. Right-hander Gabbi Schnaiter leads the pitching staff with six wins, 88 strikeouts and a 3.40 ERA.

Up Next

Loyola competes in the MVC Championship, which will be played in Evansville, Ind., May 12-15.