The Valpo softball team continued action at Marshall March Madness in Huntington, W.V. on Saturday, falling 11-4 to Loyola and 13-5 to the host Thundering Herd.
 
How It Happened – Loyola

• The Ramblers scored a single run in each of their first two turns at the plate.
• Valpo sliced the deficit in half in the bottom of the second as Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) was able to scamper home on a Loyola error.
• Loyola added three runs to its ledger with a three-run homer in the third and then plated five unearned runs in the fourth.
• Sophia Leitzen (Orfordville, Wis./Brodhead) connected on a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth and Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) added an RBI as well to cut the deficit to 10-4.
• The Ramblers scored a run in the top of the sixth to cap the scoring.

 
How It Happened – Marshall

• The hosts used the long ball to jump out to a lead, connecting on two solo homers in the opening inning and a three-run homer in the second to make it 5-0.
• Valpo erased nearly the entire deficit in the top of the fourth. Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) opened Valpo's scoring with a two-run double, Rodas delivered an RBI single and Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) drilled an RBI double to bring the Beacons within 5-4.
• Marshall answered Valpo's four-spot with a four-run inning of its own, however, to return the lead to five runs.
• Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) pulled a run back with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but Marshall closed the game via run-rule with four runs in the bottom half of the frame.

 
Inside the Games

• Vrastil picked up a hit against Loyola and then went 2-for-3 versus Marshall, extending her on-base streak to 17 straight games to open her collegiate career.
• Rodas went 2-for-3 with an RBI against Marshall, her first multi-hit game of the season and the 14^th of her career.
• Krug drove in two runs against the Thundering Herd, already her fourth multi-RBI game of this campaign after tallying just two such games last year as a freshman.
• Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) made her first career start in the circle against Marshall.

 
Next Up
Valpo (9-8) closes its time in West Virginia with two more games on Sunday. The Beacons take on Buffalo at 10 a.m. CT before facing off again with the hosts at 3 p.m. CT. The game against Marshall will be broadcast live on ESPN+.