Valpo University Softball Falls in Regular Season Finale
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The Valpo softball team dropped a 7-0 decision to host UNI in Cedar Falls, Iowa Sunday afternoon in its regular season finale. The Beacons will enter the 2025 MVC Tournament as the tenth seed and will face seventh-seeded Bradley Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
How It Happened
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a lead they would never relinquish.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UNI added three more runs in the second inning and closed the scoring with a single tally in the fourth.
–         While the Beacons were unable to push a run across the plate, it wasn’t for lack of opportunities. Valpo got at least one runner on base in six of seven innings on offense, including a runner in scoring position in five of those frames.
Inside the Game
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valpo left nine runners on base as it suffered its first shutout loss in conference play since April 8.
–         Despite the loss, the Beacons’ pitching and defense held UNI below its scoring average in MVC play for the third time in as many games in the series.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â At the plate, Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) reached base in all three of her plate appearances, going 1-for-1 with two walks.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) recorded her eighth multi-hit game of the year as she went 2-for-4 at the dish.
–         The Beacons drew three walks on Sunday, pushing their season total to 165 free passes — third-most in a single season in program history.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Erin Metz (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) started and took the loss in the circle, falling to 6-6 on the year. Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) threw two shutout innings of relief to finish up the game, striking out four batters to push her season total over the century mark.
Next Up
Valpo (20-29, 9-17 MVC) heads to Des Moines, Iowa for the 2025 MVC Tournament, hosted by Drake. The four-day event begins on Wednesday, when the tenth-seeded Beacons will face off with seventh-seeded Bradley at 4 p.m.
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