KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island and Loyola Chicago will meet for three games this weekend, starting with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The teams will play a single game Sunday, also at noon.

The series is key for the Rams, who are trying to fight back into postseason contention for the Atlantic 10 Championship. With 12 games to go on its conference slate, Rhode Island is 1.5 games out behind sixth place. The top six teams in the final standings qualify for the postseason.

Saturday, April 11

vs. Loyola Chicago, 12:00 p.m. - Live Stats
vs. Loyola Chicago, 2:30 p.m. - Live Stats

Sunday, April 12
vs. Loyola Chicago, 12:00 p.m. - Live Stats | ESPN+ 

RHODE ISLAND VS. LOYOLA CHICAGO - SERIES NOTES 

• Loyola Chicago leads the all-time series, 9-1.
• Rhody's lone victory came in a 2-1 win at the URI Softball Complex during the 2024 season.
• Rhody has scored two runs or less in all 10 previous meetings.
• Loyola Chicago relies heavily on sacrifice bunts, leading the Atlantic 10 with 25.
• The Ramblers' Abbie Gregus has caught more opponents stealing than anyone in the A-10 with 11.
• Rhode Island's Kylie Bulinski is second with seven opponents caught stealing.
• On the offensive side of the ball, Bulinski leads the conference with a .543 on-base percentage.
• Rhode Island pitchers Brooke Gerry and Ashley Hibbard are tied for second in the conference with 7.1 strikeouts per seven innings.

RAMS TURN A RARE TRIPLE PLAY 

• In Wednesday's victory over Bryant, Rhode Island's defense turned a triple play.
• With the score tied 6-6 in the top of the fifth inning, Bryant had runners on first and second base after back-to-back walks to start the frame.
• Second baseman Casey Miller fielded a grounder off the bat of Teagan Thompson and flipped to shortstop Julianne Torres for the first out. Torres fired to first for the second out. First baseman Katie Knarr took the throw and immediately fired home to catcher Kylie Bulinski, who tagged out Gabriella Gesualdo, who was trying to score from second on the play.
• It was just the sixth triple play turned in all Division I softball games this season.
• The other teams that have turned triple plays are Boise State, Grambling, St. Johns's, Yale and this weekend's opponent, Loyola Chicago.

CONFERENCE PLAY REACHES MIDPOINT

• Rhode Island is halfway through its Atlantic 10 slate, going 4-8 through the first 12 conference games.
• The Rams are tied for eighth place with St. Bonaventure.
• The top six teams qualify for the Atlantic 10 Championship. 
• Immediately ahead of Rhode Island in the team standings are Fordham (7-8) and George Mason (7-8), both of which are one game behind fifth-place Saint Louis (8-7). 
• In between is George Washington (6-6).
• Rhode Island took two of three games against fourth-place Saint Louis.
• URI still has to play three games each against Fordham, George Washington and George Mason.
• Rhody plays three games at Fordham from April 18-19, then goes to George Washington from April 25-26.
• The Rams host George Mason in the final three games of the regular season from May 2-3.
• Loyola Chicago is the first-place Also remaining on the conference schedule are first-place Loyola Chicago, which visits the URI Softball Complex from April 11-12, and George Washington, which hosts URI April 25-25.