On a rainy, overcast Saturday afternoon at the Valpo Softball Complex, the Beacons brightened their fans' days with a stellar comeback effort, overcoming an early five-run deficit and walking off with an 8-7 victory in the seventh on a game-winning single from Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew).
 
How It Happened

• It was a rough start to the game for the Beacons, who faced a 5-0 hole before ever stepping to the plate. Evansville scored its five runs on four hits and three walks in the top of the first.
• Double plays eliminated scoring threats for both teams in consecutive half innings. Valpo had runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the second before the Purple Aces turned two on a ground ball. The Beacons returned the favor in the top of the third, erasing an Evansville leadoff double when the runner left too early attempting to tag up on a fly ball.
• Opening the bottom of the third inning with the top of the batting order, the Beacons took advantage to post a crooked number of their own. An RBI single from Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) opened Valpo's scoring, and a fielder's choice grounder with the bases loaded by Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) pushed across the Beacons' second run.
• With runners on the corners, Valpo ran the delayed steal play and it worked to perfection, as Kyndal Shively (Bloomington, Ill./University) scampered home and Krug was awarded second base due to obstruction. Krug eventually came around to score on a base knock from Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) to cut the deficit to 5-4.
• After a quiet next couple innings, Evansville added what looked like they would be key insurance runs in the top of the sixth, as a leadoff walk was followed by a two-run homer to make it a 7-4 ballgame.
• The Beacons didn't blink, however, coming right back with a two-spot of their own in their half of the sixth. Rodas and Carson Kuhlmann (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) drew back-to-back one-out walks and both came around to score — Rodas on an infield single by Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) and Kuhlmann on a sacrifice fly by Gallagher.
• Evansville loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) struck out Callie Meinel — who had homered the previous inning — to keep it a one-run game.
• Facing their last chance to extend or win the game, the Beacons got their leadoff runner on as Krug reached on an Evansville error, touching first just ahead of a swipe tag following an errant throw. Sophia Leitzen (Orfordville, Wis./Brodhead) did her job, moving Krug into scoring position with a grounder.
• Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) worked the count full before knocking a single back through the middle and Krug beat the throw home to tie the game at 7-7.
• After a UE pitching change, Rodas laid down a sacrifice to get the winning run into scoring position and Kuhlmann knocked a single off the pitcher's glove to make it runners on the corners with two outs, setting the stage for Vrastil to deliver. The rookie did just that, lining the first pitch she saw back up the middle to score Bush and set off the Beacons' celebration.

 
Inside the Game

• The walk-off win was Valpo's first of the season and its third in Valley play over the last two years, as the Beacons walked off Bradley and UNI last season.
• Prior to that Bradley game last season, it had been over four years since the program's last walk-off win.
• Saturday was Valpo's first walk-off win with two outs since a two-out, two-run single lifted Valpo over Western Michigan on April 17, 2019.
• Saturday's win was notable not only for how it ended, but how the Beacons had to battle back to even get in a position to win the game. Valpo had not won a game after trailing by five or more runs since a Feb. 19, 2022 win over Lipscomb, when a 5-0 deficit after the top of the third inning turned into a 7-6 victory.
• Saturday was the first time Valpo surrendered five or more runs in the opening inning and won since perhaps the craziest game in program history — April 14, 2012 against Youngstown State, when YSU scored 11 first-inning runs and Valpo fought all the way back to win 13-12.
• It was a balanced batting order on Saturday which picked up nine hits and six walks, the latter mark one off Valpo's team season high. Seven of the nine spots in the batting order reached base multiple times.
• Vrastil's walk-off hit capped a day where she went 2-for-4 with a walk, her 14^th multi-hit game of the season — the most by a Valpo player since 2017.
• Jackson had a two-hit effort as well batting right behind Vrastil, her fourth multi-hit game this year.
• Gallagher drove in multiple runs for the seventh time this season, while Krug scored multiple runs for the second time.
• The third pitcher Valpo used on Saturday, Lopez went the final four innings in the circle and earned the victory, improving to 7-9 on the season.

 
Next Up
Valpo (13-16, 2-6 MVC) continues Valley play on Tuesday afternoon into the evening in the Windy City, as the Beacons travel to UIC for a twinbill beginning at 4:30 p.m.