The Valpo softball team led into the fifth inning of its series finale with MVC-leading Southern Illinois at the Valpo Softball Complex on Saturday, but the Salukis scored four in the fifth inning to earn a 6-3 win. SIU claimed Saturday's doubleheader opener by a 18-3 final.
 
How It Happened – Game One

• Much like Friday's series opener, SIU had a big top of the first inning, as the Salukis pushed five runs across the plate.
• The Beacons got one of those runs back in their first turn at the plate, as Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead) launched a solo homer to left.
• SIU came right back with five more runs in the top of the second and added a single tally in the fourth to make it 11-1.
• RBI doubles from Lauren Sena (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) and Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) in the bottom of the fourth made it an 11-3 game.
• SIU closed the scoring on its run-rule win with seven runs in the fifth.

 
How It Happened – Game Two

• Single runs in the first and third innings gave SIU a 2-0 lead.
• Valpo took its first lead of the series in the bottom of the third. Sophia Leitzen (Orfordville, Wis./Brodhead) reached on an SIU error to lead off the inning, and Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) immediately made the Salukis pay with a first-pitch homer off the scoreboard in left-center.
• Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) kept the line moving with a double to the gap in right-center, and eventually scored on another SIU error to give the Beacons a 3-2 lead.
• Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) held the lead through the fourth as she faced the minimum, aided by a pickoff of a runner at first by Vrastil.
• Back-to-back leadoff walks hurt the Beacons in the fifth, as an RBI double was followed by a three-run homer to put the Salukis in front, 6-3.
• Valpo got the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, but was unable to take advantage, and then went down in order in the sixth before the game was called due to darkness.

 
Inside the Games

• The weekend series came against a Southern Illinois squad which not only tops the MVC standings, but is the defending MVC regular season and tournament champions.
• The second game was called due to darkness at 7:01 p.m., the first time Valpo has played into the 7:00 hour at home since April 9, 2013 — that day saw game two of a doubleheader against Bowling Green halted mid-7^th inning due to darkness at 7:18 p.m.
• The teams played Saturday up until two minutes before the 7:03 p.m. sunset.
• Gallagher went 2-for-3 with her fourth homer of the year in the opener and also picked up a hit in the nightcap, finishing the weekend reaching base in five of her 10 plate appearances.
• Krug's home run in the nightcap was her first homer at the collegiate level. She has recorded a hit in five of Valpo's last six games.
• Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) started in the circle and took the loss in the opener, falling to 4-4 this year. Lopez took the loss with a complete-game effort — just Valpo's second complete game of the season — in the nightcap, falling to 6-7.

 
Next Up
Valpo (12-13, 1-4 MVC) steps out of conference play briefly this Wednesday, as the Beacons make the trip to the Windy City for their second matchup of the season with DePaul. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m., and the game can be seen live on the Marquee Sports Network.