CHICAGO, Ill. – Junior Vicki Zaluske's two-run, fifth-inning homer gave Bradley Softball a 2-1 lead, but Loyola rallied to tie it up with two outs in the seventh and took advantage of a two-out BU error in the bottom of the ninth as the Ramblers took the rubber match of the three-game series 3-2 Monday afternoon at Loyola Softball Park.

Bradley (13-12 overall, 6-6 MVC) couldn't take advantage of early scoring chances, leaving a pair of runners in scoring position in the first and the bases loaded in the second.  BU starter Morgan Radford was solid early, however, limiting the Loyola (7-20 overall, 3-8 MVC) to just a single base runner in the first two frames. 

The Ramblers took advantage of a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third, with Abbey Jacobsen drawing a free pass to start the inning.  Jacobsen, who moved to second a wild pitch, eventually came home on a Nova Sinskul single to put Loyola in front 1-0.

Camryn Monteer, who went 2-for-4 on the day and reached base 10 times in the three-game series, led off the Bradley half of the fifth with a single and Lucy Mead followed with a bunt single of her own to put two on with no outs.  The Ramblers turned a double play on a groundball to third as Loyola was on the brink of getting out of the inning unscathed.  Facing a full count with two outs, Zaluske ripped a two-run homer to left center to put the Braves in front 2-1.

Radford scattered five hits through the first six innings as Bradley carried the 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh.  Jacobsen once again got things started for Loyola, sparking a seventh-inning rally with a one-out single.  Sophie Van Acker followed with an infield single to knock Radford out of the game and the Ramblers would eventually load the bases with two outs when Sinskul was hit by a pitch.  A Bradley fielding error that would have ended the contest allowed Jacobsen to race home and tie it up at 2-2. 

Bradley couldn't take advantage of a one-out Stacia Seeton single in the eighth and freshman Camryn Schaller, who came on in relief of Radford in the seventh, retired Loyola in order in the bottom half of the inning. 

Schaller got a pop out and ground out to start the bottom of the ninth, but Loyola's Madison Ebeling kept the inning going with a single through the right side of the infield.  Sinskul followed with a single up the middle to put a pair on and Bradley's third error of the contest allowed Ebeling to race home from second as the Ramblers took the game 3-2. 

Schaller fell to 3-1 on the season with the setback, giving up two hits and one unearned run in 2.1 innings of work.

Bradley returns home to open a three-game series with Indiana State Saturday with a noon doubleheader at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.