Softball Falls Saturday to Redbirds
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The Valpo softball team dropped the middle game of its weekend series against Illinois State Saturday at the Valpo Softball Complex by a 6-2 final.
How It Happened
- Illinois State opened the scoring in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Tatum Wolford dropped a fly ball into shallow center field — Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) made a diving effort on the ball, which was briefly in her glove before popping out. When the dust settled, it was a bases-clearing double for the Redbirds to give them a 3-0 lead.
- Illinois State added two unearned runs in the top of the fourth after a two-out error extended the inning.
- The Beacons got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with consecutive two-out hits. Erin Metz (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) pinch hit and chopped a single back through the middle, and Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) followed by lining a 1-0 pitch the other way to the wall in left-center, allowing Metz to come around and score to make it a 5-1 game.
- Illinois State got the run back in its next turn at the plate with consecutive base hits.
- Valpo scored for a second straight inning in the bottom of the sixth as Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) knocked a one-out single through the left side and eventually scored on a line-drive single from Kaiah Fenters (Speedway, Ind./Speedway).
- It looked like the Beacons had shaved another run off the deficit to make it 6-3 and were still batting with a runner in scoring position after a successful first and third double steal, but upon replay review, the runner from first was adjudged to have left early for the third out of the inning.
- Valpo went down in order in the bottom of the seventh in its final turn at the plate.
Inside the Game
- Vrastil went 2-for-4 at the top of the batting order, her 17th multi-hit game of the year. That is the most by a Valpo player since 2017, when Carly Trepanier had 18 multi-hit efforts.
- Krug also had a multi-hit game — her seventh of the campaign — as she went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
- Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) drew a two-out walk in the first inning to extend her on-base streak to 18 consecutive games.
- Metz’s plate appearance as a pinch-hitter in the fifth was just her second of the season, and with her single, the freshman is now 2-for-2 at the plate in her collegiate career. She also scored her first collegiate run.
- Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) started in the circle and went 3.1 innings in two separate stints, taking the loss to fall to 4-6 on the year.
Next Up
Valpo (17-20, 6-10 MVC) closes out its series against Illinois State on Sunday afternoon at the Valpo Softball Complex. First pitch is slated for noon.