Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

PEORIA, Ill. (Mar. 4, 2021) - The Loras College softball team (0-2, 0-0 A-R-C) opened their 2021 season in Peoria, Ill. at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex as they competed in the inaugural Mount Mary University Collegiate Slugger Series. In a pair of late-evening games, the Duhawks took on the College of St. Scholastica Saints (9-1, 0-0 UMAC) and the Mount Mary University Blue Angels (1-4, 0-0 NACC) but were edged in both in their first regular season action since Mar. 7, 2020.  

In the first game of the night, the Duhawks faced the Saints from the College of St. Scholastica, seeing returning junior Taylor Donnell on the mound. St. Scholastica took off early in the game, scoring seven unearned runs in the bottom half of the first inning. The Duhawks held the Saints to two straight scoreless innings in the second and third, but a trio of RBI singles from the opposition increased the lead to ten and putting an end to the game in the fifth inning. Donnell threw four innings for the Duhawks, striking out three and allowing only three earned runs on seven hits. Grace Houghton led Loras at the plate, hitting 1.000 in the game after recording two hits in two at-bats. 

As the clock struck 10:00 PM, the Duhawks geared up to take on Mount Mary University after defeating the Blue Angels 6-4 in an exhibition matchup on Thursday, Feb. 25. Mount Mary pulled away early in the top of the first inning on a two-run homerun to left center by Sam Allen followed by an RBI single from Brianna Lupa and a sacrifice bunt from Kaitlyn Gilpin that scored the runner from third. Junior outfielder Ellie Schill responded for the Duhawks in the bottom half of the first with a single up the middle that scored Hadalyn Anderson. With Schill in scoring position after advancing to second on a throwing error, Jessica Bulanda stepped up to the plate and reached first on an error that scored Schill from second to cut the Blue Angels' lead to two after one inning of play. After a scoreless second inning for Mount Mary and with one out in the bottom of the second, catcher Abigail Bergholz stepped up to the plate and crushed a homer to center field to bring the score to 4-3 after two innings of play.

The top of the third saw Mount Mary record two early outs followed by back-to-back singles but nothing came to fruition as the Duhawks held them scoreless again, leaving two on base at the end of the inning. With two outs in the bottom of the third, pitcher Donnell hit a liner down the left field line for a double, giving Loras a runner in scoring position with Houghton at the plate. Houghton capitalized and singled to right field, scoring Donnell from second and tying the game at 4-4. Mount Mary took the lead once more in the top of the fourth on an RBI double down the right field line, widening the lead more in the fifth inning on another RBI double that scored two. 

Down by two in the bottom of the fifth inning, it was again Donnell who helped the Duhawks offensively with a double to right field to score Schill, who reached second on a double to center field. With Donnell now on second, Houghton posted a single to right field putting runners on the corners for the Duhawks. Hannah Wubben saw action as a pinch runner for Houghton and immediately stole second to add another runner in scoring position with Bulanda at the plate. Bulanda grounded out to third for the second out of the inning, seeing Donnell score and Wubben advance to third on the play, bringing the score to 7-6 after five innings where the score remained the same in the final two innings of the game. 

Donnell saw action on the mound again against Mount Mary, throwing 7.0 innings, striking out four and allowing three runs on seven hits. While putting in work on the mound, Donnell also led the Duhawks at the plate offensively with three doubles in the game, scoring twice with one RBI. Houghton and Schill both recorded two hits and one RBI each with Schill scoring twice. 

Loras is back in action on Sunday, Mar. 14 as they face the North Park University Vikings in a non-conference matchup in Chicago, Ill.