The Valpo softball team split a pair of games on Sunday to close out its final preconference tournament at Marshall, as a two-run homer from Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) stood up for a 2-1 win over Buffalo before the Beacons fell 5-0 to the hosts in the finale.
 
How It Happened – Buffalo

• Valpo scored all the runs it would need in the top of the first, as Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) walked with two outs and Gallagher followed by driving a full-count pitch over the wall in left to put the Beacons up 2-0.
• The Beacons had runners on second and third with two outs in the second and second and third with one out in the seventh in efforts to add to their lead, but were unable to do so on either occasion.
• Buffalo cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the third as back-to-back base hits to open the frame made it a 2-1 game. The Bulls had runners on second and third with nobody out to try to tie or take the lead, but Erin Metz (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) got a grounder and then back-to-back strikeouts to limit UB to the one run.
• Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) took care of the rest herself in the circle, entering after a Buffalo leadoff single in the fourth and facing the minimum 12 batters the rest of the way. The only blemish on Lopez's resume was a one-out single in the seventh, but Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) erased that runner trying to steal to help preserve the win.

 
How It Happened – Marshall

• Marshall took the lead for good with a one-out RBI single in the second inning.
• The Thundering Herd took advantage of three walks, a sacrifice fly and two singles to plate three runs in the third.
• Valpo's best chance at scoring came in the fourth, as Vrastil led off with a double to the wall in center and Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) followed by dropping a single into shallow left to put runners on the corners with nobody out. But three straight outs ended the frame without the Beacons pushing a run across.
• Marshall added its final run on a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.

 
Inside the Games

• Valpo has held its opponent to one run or fewer in seven of 19 games this season.
• The Beacons already have five one-run wins this year, including all three of the victories this weekend. This is more one-run wins than the program has had either of the last two seasons.
• Vrastil continued the torrid start to her Beacon career, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base in the win over Buffalo and going 2-for-3 with a double versus Marshall — her 10^th and 11^th multi-hit games of the year. Over the six games this weekend, the rookie went 9-for-19 at the plate and extended her on-base streak to 19 straight games to open the season.
• Gallagher's homer in the opener was her second of the weekend and lifted her season RBI total to a team-best 18.
• Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) went 2-for-3 at the plate in the opener, her second multi-hit game of the weekend.
• Lopez earned the win in the circle against Buffalo with her four innings of one-hit relief work, her fourth victory of the campaign. She started versus Marshall and took the loss, tossing 2.1 innings.

 
Next Up
Valpo (10-9) has one game left on its slate before opening MVC play, making a brief stop in Highland Heights, Ky. for a single game on Tuesday afternoon against Northern Kentucky. First pitch is set for noon.