Box Score The Valparaiso University baseball team started a three-game weekend series against Big Ten foe Ohio State in victorious fashion, as four Beacons had multi-hit games and a five-run seventh inning highlighted a 10-7 victory over the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio.
 
How It Happened

• The Beacons started the game with a string of singles as each of the first three hitters to come to the plate in the top of the first – Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel), Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) and Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) – all notched base hits. Later in the inning, Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) was hit with a pitch to force in the game's first run, but the Beacons stranded the maximum.
• The Buckeyes scored three times to take the lead in the bottom of the first, including a two-run, go-ahead homer by Mason Eckelman.
• Valpo took advantage of the Ohio State starting pitcher's wildness in the top of the second. He issued free passes (two walks, two hit batters) to the first four Beacons who came to the plate in the frame, prompting an early hook. Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) greeted the Buckeye bullpen by grounding a two-run single to left, allowing Valpo to wrestle back in front at 4-3.
• A one-out double drove in the tying run for Ohio State in the bottom of the second, but then consecutive strikeouts from Valpo starting pitcher Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) retired the side.
• Lockwood rolled through the third and fourth innings, sending down the side in order in each frame. Valpo regained the lead in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Aidan Thaxton (Chicago, Ill. / St. Ignatius College Prep), then Lockwood continued to cruise, putting up scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth.
• Sullivan sent a two-run single to left and Patton picked up his fourth hit of the day to drive in two more as part of a prosperous top of the seventh for the Beacons. A wild pitch scored another run to make it a five-run frame and expand the lead to 10-4.
• Lockwood left the game in the bottom of the seventh, and a bases-clearing double against the Valpo bullpen sliced the lead in half at 10-7.
• Valpo's Ryan Kruse (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) cruised through the eighth inning in order, keeping his team's three-run lead intact.
• Righty Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) was summoned from the 'pen to work the ninth, nailing down his second save of the season. He worked around a one-out walk, inducing back-to-back pop flies on the infield to lock up the triumph.

Inside the Game

• Patton has seven RBIs in his last two games – three in the nightcap of the Feb. 28 doubleheader vs. Niagara and four at Ohio State on Friday.
• Patton's four hits and four RBIs each marked new personal bests during his time in a Valpo uniform.
• Reinertson collected three hits as well, tying a career high from May 10, 2024 at Murray State.
• Sullivan enjoyed his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
• Lockwood picked up his first victory of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits while walking none and striking out four. He has gone walk-free in three of his four starts so far this season.
• Valpo has won back-to-back games for the first time this season and first time since March 30-31, 2024 vs. Bradley.
• The Beacons outhit the Buckeyes 13-9 and drew nine walks while issuing just three.
• The Beacons have scored 26 runs over their last two games.

Up Next
Valpo (3-6) and Ohio State will do it again on Saturday with a 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET first pitch in Columbus, Ohio. The game will be streamed on B1G+.