The Valpo softball team closed out its time in Clinton, S.C. at the Scotsman Invitational Saturday morning with a pair of games. The Beacons exploded for a seven-run second inning on their way to an 8-0 run-rule win over UMES, extending their winning streak to five consecutive games. Valpo then very nearly had an epic comeback win to stun Cleveland State in its tournament finale, plating six in the seventh inning to even up the game before the Vikings walked off, 9-8, in the bottom of the seventh.
 
How It Happened – UMES

• After a benign opening frame, the Beacons sent 13 batters to the plate in the second inning. Valpo got the scoring started after loading the bases with one out, as Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) drew a run-scoring walk.
• Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) and Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) followed with back-to-back RBI singles, and a two-run single from Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) forced a UMES pitching change with the score 5-0.
• The Beacons pushed across two more runs later in the frame, as Sophia Leitzen (Orfordville, Wis./Brodhead) recorded her second single of the inning — this one driving in a run — and Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) watched four straight balls go by with the bases to loaded to push the lead to 7-0.
• The result was secure from there, as Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) was handling UMES in the circle. The Hawks did load the bases with two out in the fifth, but the sophomore induced a pop-up to keep them off the board.
• Valpo closed out the run-rule win in the bottom of the fifth, as Brooklynn Couch (Lawrenceburg, Ind./Lawrenceburg) singled with one out and eventually scored on a base knock from Lana Tellez (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills).

 
How It Happened – Cleveland State

• Valpo jumped out on top of the defending Horizon League tournament champions in the top of the first, getting back-to-back base hits from Vrastil and Szostak to lead off the game. The pair both eventually scored on an Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) base hit to give the Beacons a quick 2-0 lead.
• The Vikings came right back in their first turn at the dish with a three-run frame to move in front.
• CSU added a single run in the third, three in the fourth and another tally in the sixth to push its lead to 8-2.
• With just three outs remaining and trailing by six runs, it turned out that the Beacons needed exactly zero outs to tie the game. Gallagher pushed the first run across as she drew a bases-loaded walk and Lopez followed with an RBI single.
• A Cleveland State error helped Valpo cut the lead to 8-5, followed with a two-run double by Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) which made it a one-run game. After a CSU pitching change, Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) laid down a bunt single to make it a brand new ballgame at 8-8.
• The Beacons actually had a sterling chance to take the lead in that frame, with runners on second and third and nobody out following a stolen base from Jackson, but back-to-back strikeouts and a fly out to center kept it a tie game.
• CSU made Valpo pay for not pulling in front by walking off in the bottom of the seventh, as Peyton Mueller Stenz connected on a run-scoring single with two outs.

 
Inside the Games

• While the winning streak was snapped against CSU, the five-game stretch of wins was the program's best since February 2022.
• Valpo scored eight or more runs in consecutive games for the first time since plating nine and 10 runs in back-to-back outings against Detroit in April 2017.
• The Beacons' seven-run inning in the second frame against UMES was the program's highest single-inning output since pushing across eight in the third inning in a win over Bethune-Cookman Feb. 29, 2020.
• While the offense was the highlight of the run-rule win, the performance of McDermott in the circle can't be overlooked as the sophomore picked up her first career shutout. McDermott scattered three hits in the victory and struck out a career-best 10 batters.
• Leitzen recorded her first career hits in the win over the Hawks, both of which came in that second inning.
• Gallagher drove in two runs against UMES, while Rodas reached twice via walks and tallied a run scored and an RBI.
• While Vrastil was held hitless for the first time in her collegiate career versus UMES, she did record two walks, a run scored and an RBI. The freshman bounced back against Cleveland State with a 3-for-5 game, scoring a pair of runs as she recorded her sixth multi-hit game and third three-hit game of the young season.
• Lopez registered her first three-hit game in a Valpo uniform against the Vikings, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs.
• Szostak picked up her third multi-hit game of the season versus CSU, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Jackson went 2-for-3 with an RBI for her first collegiate multi-hit game.
• Gallagher drew a pair of walks and had an RBI against the Vikings and Krug drove in a pair of runs.
• Four different Valpo pitchers saw action in the circle against CSU, including the collegiate debut of Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local), who tossed two frames. McDermott was charged with the loss in relief.

 
Next Up
Valpo (5-3) heads to St. Charles, Mo. next weekend for the Lindenwood Invitational. The Beacons are slated to face Green Bay once and Western Illinois twice in addition to two matchups with the hosts over a three-day stretch.