Column: Softball is Hoyne’s Hidden Gem

During last year’s Atlantic-10 Softball Tournament May 8, it was the bottom of the 8th inning with two outs. Then-third-year outfielder Teagan Sopczak was in scoring position while fifth-year shortstop Madison Ebeling was at a 2-2 count. The Ramblers were down by one and Ebeling was hitless on the day. People in the stands began packing up, certain this would be the final pitch of the day. 

Despite the odds, Ebeling met the pitch and launched the ball high and deep into left field for a homerun. The walk-off kept the Ramblers’ season alive for one more game. The Loyola dugout flooded home plate as Ebeling rounded the bases while leaping in the air. 

The win forced another game with George Mason University resulting in a winner-takes-all for the tournament championship. Unfortunately, the Ramblers went on to lose the game against the Patriots 6-3. 

Even with that loss, I’d seen enough. It was clear from that moment and the moments leading up to it that our softball team is one of the most exciting teams to watch at Loyola. 

The first time I went to a Loyola softball game was March 26. Going in, I only knew the “three strikes and you’re out” rule. Throughout subsequent games, I Googled the many questions I had like how many foul balls players can hit, whether sliding really gets you to the base faster and what they’re looking at on their wrists. 

Throughout my time at Hoyne Field, one thing noticeably missing from the games was the students — even with the team putting on great performances throughout last year’s season and looking to be one of Loyola’s most promising teams following the move to the A-10 conference. 

As I sat on the bleachers watching the team’s electric performances time and time again, I only wished more people were there to see it. I wished more people were there to see the 62 runs they scored at home against the opponent’s 19. I wished more people were there to see the 20 stolen bases and 73 strikeouts. 

Head coach Alicia Abbott and associate head coach Beth Wallace joined the Loyola softball staff in August 2019. In 2022, Loyola softball alumna Kiley Jones would join the staff as an assistant coach. As a trio, they have an in-conference win percentage of .549 and an overall of .453. 

Returning players from last season’s team include third-year pitchers Peyton Pepkowski and Andie Broniewicz, who ended the 2023 season ranked 4th and 5th in the A-10’s pitching standings with 2.43 and 2.61 ERAs, respectively. 

During the season, both Pepkowski and Broniewicz pitched no-hitters. Pepkowski pitched the first no-hitter of the season March 5 against Butler University, leading her to the A-10 Pitcher of the Week accolade the following week. Broniewicz pitched hers against Bradley March 28 and was named Pitcher of the Week April 3. The no-hitters are the seventh and eighth pitched in program history. 

Other notable returning players include fourth-year infielders Sydney Barnett and Hannah Nalley. They ranked 20th and 24th overall for A-10 hitters in 2023, with batting averages of .307 and .302, respectively. Third-year infielder Haley Wallace also tied Barnett at 28 for most team RBIs.

This year the team will see six new additions. First-years Skyler Croker, Liz Sedakis and Nat Lesnicki join the infield while Katie Mitchell will play the outfield and Maddy Hickey comes on as utility. The additions also include third-year infield transfer Bella Crimaldi. 

While student attendance might have been low, the bleachers were always filled with the players’ parents and family members — a perk for a team composed of mostly Illinois residents. Whether students were there or not, the team always had supporters to cheer them on. 

But more students should want to be there. Loyola has many amazing teams to see and the community should do its best to support our fellow Ramblers.

The team’s ability to continuously perform at the level they do without the advantage of an impactful home field crowd is one of the most remarkable things about it. Their consistency is what makes them such an electric team. 

At the end of the season, the Ramblers had gone 14-0 at Loyola’s Hoyne Field — the first time the team went undefeated at home in program history. 

Another advantage this team had was their bond to one another, one that seemed clear to me even from the bleachers. There were constant cheers and support coming from the dugout, gatherings around home plate for home runs and, my personal favorite, the barking. 

To be able to see a team perform together with clear chemistry makes them such a great watch. It never seemed like any one player was playing only for herself but for her teammates, coaches and school. 

Loyola is home to 13 teams, all with something to offer. Each year, people on every team put on a Loyola jersey and play for the Loyola community. This spring, as the basketball and men’s volleyball seasons wrap up, the softball season will be just getting started, giving Rambler fans the opportunity to hustle back to Hoyne to support more Ramblers.

The Ramblers begin play Feb. 9 in the Spartan Classic against Towson University in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They will play their home opener against George Mason March 23-24 starting at 12 p.m. both days.

Featured image courtesy of Steve Woltmann | Loyola Athletics