Loyola's Bell, Engelkens Sweep Softball Weekly Awards

INDIANAPOLIS – Loyola freshman left fielder Olivia Bell (Plainfield, Ill.) has been tabbed the Horizon League Player of the Week, while teammate Keali Engelkens (Milledgeville, Ill.) has been selected the League Pitcher of the Week, for the week beginning April 18.  The accolade is the first of the season for both players.

Loyola (22-18, 12-5 Horizon) jumped up the Horizon League leaderboard with six wins last week, sweeping both Green Bay and Wright State at Loyola Softball Park.  9-1 at home this season, the Ramblers have now won 12 of its last 12 home contests dating back to last season.  The Ramblers sit just one-half game back of Butler for first place in the Horizon League with two conference series remaining.

Bell started a monster week in grand fashion, clubbing two home runs and driving in five in a 9-1 victory over Green Bay on April 20.  Three days later, the freshman drilled her third homer of the week, a three-run shot that knotted the contest at 4-4 in the sixth inning of Loyola’s eventual 5-4 win over Wright State.

Adding a double and RBI in that contest as well, Bell finished the week 6-for-14 at the dish with a 1.143 slugging percentage and .556 on-base percentage.  Bell crossed the dish in five of the 11 times she reached base, recorded nine RBI in six games.

As dominant as Bell was at the plate, Engelkens was on the rubber, allowing just two earned runs over 22.1 innings of work on the week.  In five appearances, the freshman collected three wins and a save, striking out 17 batters.

In the 9-1 win on April 20, Engelkens struck out a season-high eight batters, failing to allow an earned run in picking up the win; the right-hander capped her week with a one-hit effort in Loyola’s 8-0 victory over Wright State.  Engelkens retired the first 17 Raiders she faced before a sixth inning bunt single ruined her perfect effort.

Over her last eight appearances, Engelkens is 4-1 with a 0.77 ERA in 27.2 innings of work; the Milledgeville, Ill.-native owns a 0.69 ERA in Horizon League play.

Loyola will play two area non-conference foes before a key Horizon League series this weekend.  The Ramblers hit the road for a single game against DePaul on Tuesday, April 26, before heading out to DeKalb, Ill., to take on Northern Illinois on Thursday, April 28, in a doubleheader.  Horizon League-leading Butler visits Loyola Softball Park April 30-May 1 for a three-game set, with the Ramblers and Bulldogs beginning their doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.