Horizon League Softball Championship Game 14: Loyola 3, UIC 1

May 10, 2008

CHICAGO - Loyola University Chicago defeated the University of Illinois at Chicago 3-1 in game 14 of the Horizon League Championship at Loyola Softball Park. The Ramblers will take on Cleveland State University in game 15 of the tournament while UIC's loss eliminates the Flames from the championship.

Sophomore right-hander Amy Solava tossed her straight complete-game and picked up her second win of the day. Solava struck out three, walked four and allowed just one run to improve to 16-14 on the year.

UIC's Sarah Clynes took the loss and dropped to 15-18 on the year. Clynes worked 6.0 innings, allowed two earned runs and struck out four.

LU enters its contest with Cleveland State having won seven of its last eight games.

The collected the victory despite being out-hit by its opponent for the second straight contest. Sophomore Ellen Kresl led the way for the Ramblers offensively as she went 1-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs.

Loyola took an early 1-0 lead after as it executed a suicide squeeze for the second straight game. Senior Nora Schober hit a bunt down the third base line, which allowed junior Kaycee Tharp to score from third.

Schober has now reached base safely in each of the last 14 contests.

The Ramblers extended their advantage to 3-0 in the second inning thanks to a two-out double by Kresl into left-centerfield field. Freshman Haley Ambrosch and sophomore Stephanie Cihlar both came around to score.

Solava held the Flames bats in check until the sixth inning when sophomore catcher Stephanie Chavez cracked a solo home run to left field to cut the Loyola lead to 3-1. UIC would not score again as Solava retired the Flames in order to close out the game.

For complete coverage of the 2008 Horizon League Softball Championship check out the tournament homepage at www.horizonleague.org.