Bradley (11-15 overall) fell behind 4-0 after Loyola (8-12 overall) scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.  Senior Janay Mitchell (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) extended her hit streak to six games with a one-out single in the first inning, but Bradley would not manage another hit until the top of the seventh. 

The Ramblers scored the first run of the game in bottom of the second inning when Ellen Kresl, the older sister of Bradley sophomore Alison Kresl (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara), ripped an RBI single to right center to plate Lauren Arceneaux from second.

Loyola added another run in the third inning.  Back-to-back bunt singles to open the frame and a Bradley throwing error on a steal attempt allowed the Ramblers to push the lead to 2-0. 

Arceneaux led off the fourth inning for Loyola with a double and moved to third on an illegal pitch, before Bridget Lally drove in Arceneaux with the third run of the game with a bunt single.

The Ramblers added an insurance run in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 4-0.  Brooke Andresen led off the inning with a ground-rule double to center and moved to third on an illegal pitch.  Andresen later scored on a double off the bat of Stephanie Cihlar as Cihlar and Arceneaux combined for six of Loyola's 10 hits in the game.

Funston and Seana Stillson combined for a one-hit shutout heading into the seventh inning when the Braves tried to mount a rally.  Junior Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee) got things started with a one-out single and moved to second on an error.  Kresl singled up the middle and Bradley had runners at second and third when senior Jacqueline Vitale (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons Township) loaded the bases with a base on balls. 

Senior Lindsay Watkins (Hopedale, Ill./Olympia/Parkland) singled to score Fairbairn from third to cut Loyola's lead to 4-1.  The Braves had a runner thrown out at the plate when senior Amanda Clack (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro) reached on a fielder's choice and junior Denise Jilka (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) drew a bases loaded walk in her first plate appearance of the year to pull Bradley to within 4-2. 

Funston, who pitched four scoreless innings to open the game before giving way to Stillson, reentered the contest in the circle and induced a ground out to close out the victory for the Ramblers.  Funston improved to 3-1 on the season with the victory.

Freshman Mackenzie Camp suffered the loss for the Braves as she fell to 0-3 on the year.  She struck out three and walked none, while surrendering five hits and two runs (one earned) in three innings of work.

Bradley returns to action Friday when the Braves open a three-game series against Southern Illinois with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Laura Bradley Park.