The Valpo softball team looked poised to capture just its second win in program history over DePaul Wednesday afternoon in Chicago, leading with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but an error allowed the Blue Demons to walk off with the 4-3 victory.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo opened the scoring in its first turn at the plate. Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) drew a one-out walk and came around to score two batters later when Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) laced the first pitch she saw to the fence in right-center field.
• DePaul evened the score with a run in the bottom of the third, but Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) kept the Blue Demons from pulling in front in that frame, entering in relief with two on and one out and getting out of the inning without any further damage.
• DePaul added another single run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.
• After 15 of their previous 16 hitters had been retired, the Beacons needed just one swing to tie the game in the top of the sixth, as Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) drilled a two-out, 2-1 pitch over the fence in left to make it a 2-2 ballgame.
• Valpo had runners on second and third with one out in the top of the seventh with a chance to go in front, but a groundout and a popout sent the game tied to the bottom of the inning.
• DePaul had a golden opportunity of its own to walk off in the seventh, loading the bases with one out on three straight singles. Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) made a nice play on a cue shot out in front of the plate to record the force at home for the second out, and another groundout sent the game to extra innings.
• The Beacons got a clutch two-out hit from Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) into left in the top of the eighth, and Vrastil — who walked earlier in the inning — scored from second with a nice slide into the plate to beat the tag to make it 3-2 Valpo.
• Valpo retired the first two Blue Demon hitters in the bottom of the eighth before a walk and a single put the go-ahead runs on base. A Beacon error on a grounder allowed both baserunners to score, giving DePaul the walk-off win.

 
Inside the Game

• The loss was Valpo's first of the year in extra innings, as the Beacons dropped to 2-1 when playing beyond seven frames. It also dropped Valpo's record to 6-3 this year in one-run games.
• Valpo was bidding for just its second win in 50 all-time meetings against DePaul.
• Five different players accounted for the Beacons' five hits Wednesday.
• Gallagher connected on her team-best fifth homer of the season and also drew an intentional walk in the eighth to reach base twice.
• Garnica reached twice as well, getting hit by a pitch in addition to her go-ahead RBI single in the eighth.
• All three primary Valpo pitchers saw action in the circle Wednesday, with Lopez taking the tough-luck loss to fall to 6-8 despite not giving up an earned run.

 
Next Up
Valpo (12-14) hosts Evansville for a three-game MVC series this weekend.