The Valparaiso University baseball team tied a season high in the hit column and enjoyed a seven-run inning for the second time in the last three games, but host Ball State prevailed by a football score of 14-10 with the wind blowing out on Tuesday afternoon at Shebek Stadium in Muncie, Ind.

How It Happened

• After starting pitcher Joe Seiber (Homer Glen, Ill. / Lockport) worked 1-2-3 in the opening inning, Ball State's Ty Davis homered in the bottom of the second to start the game's scoring.
• Ball State picked up an unearned run in the third on a passed ball / dropped third strike, but Ryan Kruse (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) struck out three in the frame to keep the damage to the minimum.
• On the first pitch of the top of the fourth, Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) lifted an opposite-field home run to left, putting Valpo on the board and cutting the Ball State lead to 3-1.
• Ball State's Ty Davis hit his second home run of the game in the fourth, extending the lead to 4-1.
• Playing in his first game since Feb. 28 after missing the previous seven with an injury, Thomas Cooper (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) led off the fifth inning with a first-pitch home run to left, getting Valpo back within two at 4-2.
• A bloop single by Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) plated Valpo's second run of the fifth, pulling the Beacons within a run at 4-3 and bouncing the Ball State starting pitcher from the contest. The inning continued as Maka drove in the tying run, then Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) grounded a two-run, go-ahead double down the left-field line to make it 6-4 in favor of the Beacons. Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) capped the seven-run fifth inning with a two-run double of his own.
• The high-scoring affair continued in the bottom of the fifth, when Ball State scored four times to tie the game at eight including Davis' third home run of the game.
• Ball State scored three times in the seventh to take an 11-8 lead.
• Maka's third hit of the game came with two outs in the eighth, driving in a run to shrink the lead to two at 11-9.
• Ball State added three in the bottom of the eighth to expand the lead to five at 14-9. Denty's third hit of the game drove in a run in the top of the ninth, making it 14-10, which stood as the final.

Inside the Game

• Maka has reached base safely in every game he's played this season, extending his streak to 15 on Tuesday.
• Maka's home run was the 20^th of his career, one away from cracking the program's all-time top 10.
• Cooper homered for the second time this season and in his career. This marked his first home run since Feb. 22 at Memphis.
• Valpo scored nine runs or more for the third time in the last four games.
• Sullivan, Maka, Patton and Denty all had multiple hits including Maka and Denty leading the way with three apiece.
• The Beacons outhit the Cardinals 14-10 as the Beacons tied a season high for hits that was set on Feb. 28 vs. Niagara. This marked Valpo's third double-figure hit total in the last four games.
• Free bases plagued the Beacons as Valpo walked 10, hit a batter and made three errors.

Up Next
The Beacons (4-12) will start up Missouri Valley Conference play on Friday at 5:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m. ET in Terre Haute. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.