For the first time in 329 days, the Valpo softball team took to the field at the Valpo Softball Complex for regular season action on Saturday. The Beacons got a two-run homer in the seventh inning from Lauren Kehlenbrink (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South), but could not complete the comeback from a four-run deficit as visiting Bradley earned a 4-2 win. With impending rain on the way, the scheduled second game of the doubleheader was pushed back until Sunday.

How It Happened

• Junior Easton Seib (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) navigated an early threat in the first inning, as facing runners on second and third with just one out, Seib induced a pop-up and a grounder back to the circle to keep the Braves off the board.
• Bradley opened the scoring in the top of the second, as back-to-back singles sandwiched a stolen base to account for the game’s first run.
• Kehlenbrink reached on a Bradley error to lead off the bottom of the second and eventually moved over to third, but was stranded there.
• Seib tallied all three outs via strikeout in the third inning, kicking off a stretch of three straight shutout frames.
• Ryan Milkowski (Olathe, Kan./Olathe West) tallied Valpo’s first hit with an infield single in the bottom of the fourth before being erased on a double play.
• Bradley’s first four batters of the sixth all reached base as the Braves scored a pair of insurance tallies. Valpo threatened in the bottom of the frame as Peyton Moeder (Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley) drew a two-out walk and stole second, but she advanced no further.
• The Braves took advantage of a pair of Beacon errors to add another run in the seventh, extending their lead to 4-0.
• The Beacons looked for a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Milkowski led off the inning with a line-drive double down the left-field line, and Kehlenbrink followed by skying a 2-2 pitch easily over the wall in left-center to cut the deficit to 4-2. But the next three Valpo hitters were retired in order to end the game.

Inside the Game

• Saturday marked Valpo’s first home game since concluding the 2021 regular season last May 8 at the Valpo Softball Complex. It was Valpo’s latest home opener since the 2003 season.
• Milkowski picked up two of the Beacons’ three hits on Saturday for her third multi-hit game of the year. Her double gives her a team-best five two-baggers this season.
• Kehlenbrink’s home run was her first of the season and her first since going deep at UNI on April 11, 2021.
• Moeder registered her fifth stolen base of the year as four different Beacons have swiped at least five bags this season.
• Seib allowed just three earned runs and struck out six in tossing her eighth complete game of the season in the circle.

Next Up

Valpo (9-16, 1-6 MVC) will close out the three-game series with Bradley on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Both games can be seen live on ESPN3.