VU Softball Falls at Illinois
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The Valpo softball team opened a busy stretch of games Wednesday in Urbana, Ill. by taking the lead over Illinois in the top of the second inning, but two swings in the bottom half of the inning proved to be the difference as the Beacons fell to the Fighting Illini, 5-1.
How It Happened
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Illinois loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, but Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) induced an easy fly ball to left to keep the Illini off the board.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The first two batters in the Valpo second combined to put the Beacons on top. Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) watched five pitches go by to draw a leadoff walk, and Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) followed by lining a full-count pitch to the wall in right-center to plate Lopez.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Illinois again loaded the bases with two outs in its half of the second and this time was able to take advantage, as back-to-back hitters connected on first a grand slam and then a solo homer for the final margin.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valpo had a couple of other threats later in the game, but was unable to convert. Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) and Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) connected on consecutive one-out singles in the third, but were stranded in scoring position after a double steal. The Beacons had their first two hitters on in the seventh as well in a belated comeback effort.
Inside the Game
–         Krug’s second-inning RBI was her 16th of the season, while Lopez scored her 10th run of the campaign.
–         Vrastil picked up her 50th hit of the season with her third-inning base knock, just nine away from Valpo’s single-season top-10. Her stolen base later that frame improved her to a perfect 13-for-13 this year on the basepaths.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) had her 19-game on-base streak snapped on Wednesday.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â McDermott started in the circle and threw two innings, falling to 4-7 on the year. Lopez threw two innings of shutout relief, while Erin Metz (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) closed things out with two innings of hitless relief.
–         Metz’s appearance in the circle was her 36th of the season, tied for eighth-most in a single year in program history.
Next Up
Valpo (17-22) heads on to Nashville for its weekend MVC series at Belmont. Due to the Easter holiday, the series begins Thursday afternoon at 5 p.m.