In the program's longest game since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, the Valpo softball team outlasted host Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind. Saturday afternoon, picking up its first MVC win of the year in 11 innings, 3-2. Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) earned the win in the circle and drove in the game-winning run, while Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) connected on her third homer of the year.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo opened the scoring in the top of the third inning. Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) led off the frame with a walk and was standing on third base with two outs when Gallagher stepped in and drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left center to make it 2-0 Beacons.
• It looked like the Sycamores would respond immediately in their half of the third, loading the bases with nobody out on a walk, a single and a Valpo error. But Lopez — who entered in relief prior to the error — bore down and recorded back-to-back strikeouts before getting a grounder to escape the frame with no damage.
• The Beacons had a good shot to add to their lead in the fourth, putting runners on the corners with one away and later loading the bases with two outs, but were unable to find the third run.
• Indiana State scored a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the fifth, one an unearned tally, to level the score.
• A walk and a stolen base put the potential go-ahead run into scoring position with one out for the Sycamores in the bottom of the sixth before Lopez set down the next two batters on strikes to keep it a 2-2 game.
• Krug led off the seventh with a single, but Valpo was unable to get a runner past second base in the frame. Meanwhile, Lopez set down the ISU side in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extras.
• The best shot for either squad to score in the first three extra innings came for Valpo in the top of the ninth. Krug led off the frame with a double and moved over to third with one out, but a liner to shallow center wasn't deep enough to let the sophomore score and a foul-out eventually closed the inning.
• Valpo had a baserunner in each of the first three extra frames, as Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) drew a two-out walk in the eighth and reached on a two-out error in the 10^th, but was left on first both times.
• Defensively, Lopez was mowing down the Sycamores in extra innings — a one-out double in the bottom of the 10^th the only blemish against her as the game entered the 11^th.
• Krug reached on an error to lead off the 11^th and got over to third with two away. After Gallagher drew a walk, Lopez stepped up and drove the first pitch she saw to the wall in right-center to plate Krug and give the Beacons the 3-2 lead.
• The junior then shut the door in the circle, setting down the Sycamores on five pitches in the bottom of the 11^th to close out the win.

 
Inside the Game

• The 11-inning contest was Valpo's longest since going 11 innings in a 4-3 loss in Horizon League play to Oakland April 28, 2017.
• The Beacons' previous longest conference games since joining the Valley were a pair of 10-inning contests they split last season against Bradley.
• Valpo has won both of its extra-inning games this season.
• The win was Valpo's first over its in-state foe since a 1-0 win in the series finale in Terre Haute March 20, 2022. The Sycamores had won the previous five games in the series.
• Valpo's pitching and defense surrendered just three hits to the Sycamores on Saturday, matching the season low by a Beacon opponent.
• Lopez improved to 6-5 on the season with nine innings of relief work, allowing just two hits and two runs while striking out eight.
• Erin Metz (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) started in the circle and struck out four batters in her two-plus innings of work.
• Lopez and Metz combined for 12 strikeouts, a single-game high this season for the Valpo pitching staff and the fourth time this year the Beacons have struck out at least 10 batters in a game.
• The 12 strikeouts was the most for Valpo pitchers in a game since tallying 12 strikeouts against Saint Louis March 6, 2020.
• Gallagher went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, highlighted by her third home run of the season, which boosted her team-leading RBI total to 20 RBIs.
• Krug continued her strong week at the plate, reaching base four times as she went 2-for-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch while scoring two runs. It was her fifth multi-hit game of the season and the first time the sophomore has scored multiple runs this year.
• Vrastil drew a walk to lead off the game for the second straight day, extending her on-base streak to open her career to 22 straight games. She picked up a single in extra innings to extend her hitting streak as well, that mark currently sitting at 13 games.
• Valpo earned the win Saturday despite stranding a season-high 14 runners on base.

 
Next Up
Valpo (12-10, 1-1 MVC) concludes the opening weekend series with the rubber game against Indiana State Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.