LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Bakersfield softball opened up the UCLA Tournament with a 5-4 loss to Loyola-Chicago on Friday afternoon.

Madison Bundy (Jr., Anacortes, Wash., Oregon State) got CSUB on the board with a leadoff home run to center field in the second inning. The junior's first homer on the season gave the runners a 1-0 lead that would be doubled in the third inning. With two outs, Karissa Veiga (Sr., Hemet, Calif., Hemet HS) induced a walk to keep the inning alive. After moving to second on a wild pitch, Sydney Raeber (So., Hanford, Calif., Hanford HS) singled home Veiga for her fifth RBI of the season and a 2-0 lead over the Ramblers.

Loyola-Chicago would not go quietly as the Ramblers rallied for three runs in the bottom half of the third inning. Three hits, one error, and a hit batter led to the rally which gave LUC a 3-2 lead heading into the fourth.

The Ramblers threatened again in the fourth inning after loading the bases against Bakersfield's starting pitcher, Kelsie Monroe (Jr., Los Banos, Calif., San Joaquin Delta College). Monroe hit her fourth batter of the game to give LUC a 4-2 lead as Head Coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler decided to go to the bullpen. Lyndsay Klimenko (Fr., Half Moon Bay, Calif., Half Moon Bay HS) inherited three runners but only gave up one more run after inducing a sacrifice fly followed by a fly out to end the inning.

Trailing 5-2, the 'Runners managed to close the gap in the fifth inning. Veiga scored her second run of the game after Bundy reached on an error by the shortstop to make the score 5-3.

Still down by the same score heading into the seventh, the 'Runners held on to hope and started a rally. After Veiga reached base for the third time in the game, Bundy doubled her home to bring the game within one run. With the tying run on base and two outs, a groundout would seal the 5-4 victory for Loyola-Chicago.

Bundy finished the game 3-4 with two RBI while Klimenko's line closed with three hits, no runs allowed, no walks, and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief.

Bakersfield (2-17) will continue the UCLA Tournament on Saturday with a game against UNLV at 11:30 a.m. and a night cap with Charleston Southern at 7:30 p.m.

~www.GoRunners.com~