Game 1 box
Game 2 box

DETROIT-- Loyola came into Saturday's doubleheader at Detroit just a half-game back of the leaders in a multi-team race atop the Horizon League standings.  The Ramblers used a strong pitching performance in the opener (10-0) and staved-off a Titan rally in the second game (4-2) to complete the sweep at Buysse Ballpark Saturday and remain in the hunt for the conference's top seed.

LU (26-25, 15-7 Horizon) had its bats working the entire day and collected runs in five of seven innings in game one to grab a 10-0 win.  Rambler hurler Brittany Gardner didn't need all the runs her offense provided her, throwing a complete game one-hit gem with 11 strikeouts and just two walks.  The lone Titan hit was a hard-hit double to the left-centerfield gap off the bat of Sara Cupp that one-hopped the wall.

In game two, Loyola posted a single run in the third and had a three-run fifth to take a 4-0 lead.  In the bottom of the next frame, Detroit (7-36, 2-19) plated a pair and had the go-ahead run at the plate before a long fly ball to center ended the threat.  After Alyssa Gietl doubled to open the inning, Hannah Klenk coaxed a walk to put two aboard.  With two outs, Cupp roped a two-run double to deep centerfield plating them both.  Erin Huddleston, the Titans' homerun leader this season (6), was walked intentionally to bring up Karyn McCarty, who just missed centering a ball that nestled into the centerfielder's glove for the third out.

Julia Maksym was able to limit the damage, getting out of a couple jams, including three straight grounders in the final inning to keep it a two-run game.  She went the distance, scattering a dozen hits with four runs-- three earned-- with two strikeouts and a walk.

Cupp had two of Detroit's four hits on the afternoon while Gietl and Renee Zaccagni each chipped-in a hit.

The Titans close out their 2011 campaign on Sunday in the series finale with the Ramblers.  First pitch is slated for 11:00 a.m. at Buysse Ballpark.