Beacons Edged by Bruins to Claim Series
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The Valpo softball team was within two innings of closing out a series win on the road at second-place Belmont Saturday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn., but the host Bruins plated a pair of sixth-inning runs to earn the 2-1 victory.
How It Happened
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valpo struck immediately against Belmont ace Maya Johnson in the top of the first. Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) led off the game with an infield single, moved up 60 feet at a time on a sacrifice and a groundout before scoring on a two-out single from Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]).
–         That proved to be Valpo’s last baserunner until the seventh inning, but for most of the game, that single tally looked like it might be enough. Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) took care of the Bruins in the first two innings before handing the ball off to Lopez.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lopez kept Belmont off the board in the third after the Bruins got a runner to second with one out, induced a double-play grounder to erase the leadoff batter reaching in the fourth and set the side down in order in the fifth.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Belmont was able to take advantage of its best chance of the game in the sixth, however. Back-to-back walks to open the inning put two runners aboard, both of whom came home on a one-out, two-run double to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valpo had one last chance to strike back and put together a threat in the seventh. Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill.,/Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) led off the inning with a full-count walk, and three batters later, Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) worked a full-count walk of her own to put the potential tying run in scoring position. Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) lined a 1-0 pitch that looked like it was destined for shallow right field, but the Belmont second baseman made a lunging snag to end the game.
Inside the Game
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valpo was held to just two hits, tying a season low, but the trio of McDermott, Lopez and Erin Metz (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) were nearly as effective, limiting Belmont to just three hits.
–         Vrastil scored her team-best 26th run of the season, while Lopez’s RBI was her 21st of the campaign.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lopez was charged with the loss in the circle, falling to 8-11 after her three innings of relief work.
Next Up
Valpo (18-24, 7-13 MVC) steps out of MVC play for the final time in the regular season on Wednesday afternoon, making the short trip to Notre Dame for a 4 p.m. CT first pitch.