WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita State softball team used a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to pull ahead of the Loyola Ramblers and win the series with a 6-5 victory Sunday afternoon in Wilkins Stadium.

Loyola scored its first run in the top of the second on a SAC bunt by Brie Pasquale to take an early 1-0 lead over Wichita State.

Cacy Williams got the Shockers on the board with a RBI single up the middle, tying the game, 1-1, going into the third inning.

The Ramblers added three runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a RBI single to left center, followed by a RBI single to center to give Loyola a 4-1 advantage.

Ali Vandever responded in the bottom of the inning with a double to right field to get the Shockers in scoring position before Ashley Johnson hit a single to right field, scoring Vandever and cutting the Loyola lead, 2-4.

Vandever continued her hitting streak with a RBI double to center in the fifth inning to get Wichita State within one before Williams tied it up, 4-4, on a RBI single up the middle. Johnson hit a single to left field to bring in another runner, giving the Shockers their first lead of the game, 5-4.

The Shockers added another run in the sixth when Vandever grounded out to third, scoring Greenlee to extend the Wichita State lead, 6-4 but Loyola would not go away, hitting a home run to right center to get within one but it wasn't enough as the Shocker defense shutdown the Ramblers' offense in the seventh, taking the final game of the series, 6-5. 

Sloan Anderson picked up the win, pitching 2.2 innings and allowing four hits and one run, while Brittany Gardner was recorded with the loss for Loyola, allowing 11 hits and six runs in six innings. 

Johnson went 3-for-4 on the day with two RBIs and Vandever went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs in the victory.

Wichita State will travel to Omaha, Neb., Tues., March 18 to take on the University of Nebraska-Omaha before playing former MVC foe Creighton Wed., March 19. 

-WICHITA STATE-