The Valparaiso University baseball team fell 11-5 to No. 22 Southern Miss in the series finale at Peter Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss on Sunday afternoon. Nathan Chasey (Ames, Iowa / Gilbert [Indiana Hills CC]) hurled three scoreless innings of relief to serve as a Beacon bright spot. This marked the team’s final contest of a seven-game, 11-day road trip.

How It Happened

• The game was slated for 11 a.m., but the first pitch was not tossed out until 2:01 p.m. after a three-hour delay caused by rain and lightning.
• The Golden Eagles jumped in front in the opening inning on a two-run homer by Slade Wilks.
• The Beacons sliced the lead in half on a run-scoring single by Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) in the third. They could have had more in the inning as the first out came at the plate as a runner tried to score on a single to left. Valpo also had two on with one away and one run in the bank but could cash in no further.
• Southern Miss added two in the third, scoring on a sacrifice fly before adding another on the back end of a double steal with runners at first and third.
• Valpo starter Griffin McCluskey (Normal, Ill. / Normal Community) was lifted after three innings, and Chasey took over. He worked the next three frames without yielding a run, permitting just one hit and one walk. He opposed the minimum over his first two innings before facing a second-and-third, one-out jam in the sixth. He wiggled out with no damage done.
• Southern Miss added two in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6-1.
• Southern Miss broke it open with five in the eighth.
• Valpo scored four times in the ninth including a two-out, two-run two-bagger by Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo). The scoring in that inning started with a wild pitch, and the fourth run of the frame came on Schmack’s second single of the game.

Inside the Game

• The Golden Eagles outhit the Beacons 8-6.
• Schmack had Valpo’s lone multi-hit output. This marked his team-leading seventh game of the season with multiple hits.
• The Hannahs double with two outs in the ninth was Valpo’s first extra-base hit of the game.
• Hannahs had his 25^th career double, four of which have come this season.

Up Next

Valpo (7-6) will be back in action on Friday to start a three-game series in Omaha. The first pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m.