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Harry Deliyannis INS
11
Winner Valparaiso Beacons VALPO 6-16, 2-3 MVC
6
Univ. of Evansville UE 8-18, 3-2 MVC
Winner
Valparaiso Beacons VALPO
6-16, 2-3 MVC
11
Final
6
Univ. of Evansville UE
8-18, 3-2 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Valparaiso Beacons VALPO 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 1 3 11 9 2
Univ. of Evansville UE 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 6 9 2

W: Deliyannis, Harry (3-2) L: Kevin Reed (3-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Deliyannis Delivers Strong Showing as Valpo Evens Series in Evansville

Evansville started the day by unveiling its 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and NCAA Regional banners, but it was the Valparaiso University baseball team that was all smiles when the day ended, as right-handed pitcher Harry Deliyannis (Bloomington, Ind. / Bloomington North) hurled eight strong innings to lift the Beacons to an 11-6 victory over the defending conference tournament champion Purple Aces on Saturday afternoon at Braun Stadium. The Beacons did not have a hit until the fifth and trailed 4-0 through five, but a six-run sixth turned the game on its head, starting a sequence of 11 unanswered runs for the guests.
 
How It Happened
  • Neither team scored in the opening inning including a strong first frame for Deliyannis. Charlie Longmeier led off the Evansville second with a solo home run, then UE tacked on two unearned runs in that frame and held a 3-0 lead through two.
  • Valpo left the maximum in the top of the third as the Beacons worked three walks, but walked away empty handed.
  • The Purple Aces added a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth to increase the lead to 4-0.
  • Senior Kade Reinertson (Huxley, Iowa / Ballard Community) clubbed a double to left center for Valpo's first hit of the game with two outs in the top of the fifth, but he was stranded at third.  
  • Valpo turned the game around in the top of the sixth by scoring six times to take the lead. A two-run double by Patrick Ilitch (Detroit, Mich. / University Liggett) cut into the UE edge and made it 4-2. Aidan Thaxton (Chicago, Ill. / St. Ignatius College Prep) drove in a run and the tying tally scored on a wild pitch. Then, Reinertson greeted the new Evansville pitcher with a go-ahead, two-run homer, capping a big inning and giving Valpo a 6-4 lead.
  • Deliyannis remained in the game and cruised through a 1-2-3 sixth.
  • Valpo manufactured a run in the seventh, as the first two batters of the inning were hit by a pitch before Ilitch laid down a sac bunt and Thaxton lifted a sac fly.
  • Deliyannis faced the minimum for the third straight inning in the seventh, including a strikeout to wrap up the frame, keeping Valpo in front 7-4.
  • Valpo made it eight unanswered runs as Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) stroked a run-scoring single up the middle to boost the lead to 8-4 in the eighth.
  • Deliyannis finished out a strong outing with a scoreless bottom of the eighth, working around a one-out double to keep the four-run lead intact.
  • Ilitch and Thaxton ripped consecutive two-baggers to begin the top of the ninth, lifting the Valpo lead to five at 9-4. Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) kept the offensive outpouring going with a two-run homer to cap the Valpo scoring, making it 11 unanswered runs.
  • Righty Ryan Kruse (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) was summoned from the bullpen to work the final frame. Evansville scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, but Kruse preserved the victory.
Inside the Game
  • Reinertson's home run was the fourth of his career and his second this season.
  • Sullivan's home run was his second of the season.
  • Deliyannis' final line featured eight innings while scattering nine hits, allowing four runs (two earned), striking out six and walking none.
  • This marked the third straight outing Deliyannis recorded five or more strikeouts. The eight innings exceeded his previous longest start of the season, which was six innings last week at Indiana State. This represented his first walk-free performance of the year.
  • Over the last three weekends, Valpo has wins over the defending Big Ten regular-season champs, the defending MVC regular-season champs and the defending MVC Tournament champs.
  • Six of Valpo's nine hits went for extra bases.
  • Ilitch had two doubles on Saturday after entering the game with two career doubles, both in 2023. He became the second Beacon with a two-double game this season, joining Sullivan on Feb. 23 at Memphis.
  • This marked the fifth time this season that Valpo posted a double-figure run total.
  • The Beacons have already exceeded their conference road win total from last season.
  • The 11 runs were the most scored by Valpo in a head-to-head matchup with Evansville since a 15-7 victory in the 1980 Heartland Collegiate Conference Tournament.
Up Next
The Beacons (6-16, 2-3) will conclude the weekend series on Sunday at noon. Please note that the game will start earlier than originally scheduled due to the weather forecast. The game will air on ESPN+ with links to live video and stats available on ValpoAthletics.com. 
 
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