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Valparaiso University

Calendar

Maka Vandy
9
Valparaiso VALPO 3-10
13
Winner Illinois ILL 9-6
Valparaiso VALPO
3-10
9
Final
13
Illinois ILL
9-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Valparaiso VALPO 0 1 0 1 5 2 0 0 0 9 13 1
Illinois ILL 4 0 0 0 6 1 2 0 X 13 10 1

W: Reed, S. (2-0) L: Lockwood, Connor (1-3) S: Weber, L. (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Drops High-Scoring Opener to Illini

The Valparaiso University baseball team outhit host Illinois 13-10, but the team's attempt to beat a Big Ten foe for the second straight Friday came up short as the Illini prevailed 13-9 in a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair in Champaign, Ill.
 
How It Happened
  • Illinois scored four times in the opening inning, including a two-out, two-run homer on a day where the wind was howling out.
  • The Beacons got on the board in the top of the second inning as Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) legged out an infield single and plated Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic), who had singled and swiped a base earlier in the inning.
  • Valpo starter Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the second, then put another zero on the board in the third. In the top of the fourth, Bryan Hatch (Des Plaines, Ill. / St. Viator) led off the frame with a double and later trotted home on a two-bagger by Austin Amburgey (Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg) to cut the Illini lead to 4-2.
  • Lockwood sent down the side in order again in the fourth including a sliding snag by Spencer Warfield (Fullerton, Calif. / Servite) in center to start the inning. In the top of the fifth, Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) tucked a payoff pitch inside the left-field foul pole for a two-run, game-tying home run to create a 4-4 deadlock.
  • Later in the inning, Denty cleared the wall in left center for a solo shot, giving the Beacons their first lead of the game at 5-4. A two-out single by Giusti scored two more, capping a five-run fifth and giving Valpo a 7-4 lead.
  • Illinois scored six times in the bottom of the fifth, an inning that started with three straight walks and eventually featured a two-run homer, to leapfrog ahead 10-7.
  • A two-run double by Denty in the top of the sixth got Valpo back to within a run at 10-9.  
  • Illinois scored once in the sixth and twice in the seventh, expanding the lead to 13-9, which stood as the final score.
Inside the Game
  • Patton's home run was his first of the season and his fourth in a Valpo uniform.
  • Denty's dinger was also his first of the year and the fourth of his collegiate career.  
  • Patton and Denty had three hits apiece. Denty was a triple shy of the cycle.
  • Patton had his fourth multi-hit game, moving into a tie for the team lead. This marked his second game with three hits or more.
  • Denty enjoyed his third multi-hit game of the year.
  • The 13 hits tied for Valpo's second-highest total of the season. The Beacons also had 13 in the series opener at Ohio State and eclipsed that with 14 in the second game of a doubleheader against Niagara.
  • Reliever Joe Seiber (Homer Glen, Ill. / Lockport) was charged with no runs on two hits and no walks in two innings of work.
  • Senior Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) has reached base safely in all 12 games that he's played this season, extending that streak with a hit on Friday.
  • The nine runs marked Valpo's third-highest total of the season and highest in a loss.
Up Next
The series will conclude as the two teams face off again on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader. Due to the weather forecast on Sunday, the schedule has been tweaked to play two on Saturday. The games will air on B1G+.
 
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