Box Score Sophomore Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) reached base four times, while junior Austin Amburgey (Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg) picked up three of the team's 10 hits, but the Valparaiso University baseball team fell 10-5 to Missouri State on Saturday afternoon at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.
 
How It Happened

• The Beacons scored the game's first runs on a two-out, two-run, ground-rule double by Patrick Ilitch (Detroit, Mich. / University Liggett) in the top of the first. Valpo had three hits plus a walk in the opening inning to take a 2-0 lead.
• Valpo starter Harry Deliyannis (Bloomington, Ind. / Bloomington North) retired the first two men he faced in the bottom of the first, but a pair of two-out walks were followed by a three-run homer from Carter Bergman to make it 3-2 in favor of the hosts.

• After Deliyannis rebounded from the first-inning gopher ball by working a 1-2-3 second, senior Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) ripped a run-scoring single in the third to get Valpo back to level at 3-3.
• Deliyannis sent down nine straight following the first-inning home run, but unfortunately the next baserunner he yielded also touched them all as Zack Stewart had a two-out, solo shot in the fourth to put Missouri State back in front 4-3. The Bears threatened for more in that inning, but Deliyannis picked up an inning-ending strikeout with a man stranded at third.
• Missouri State had four straight hits to start the fifth inning, including a string of three straight extra-base knocks that culminated with a two-run homer by Jake McCutcheon, ending the day for the Valpo starter with the Bears ahead 8-3 with nobody out in the fifth. Josh Cottrill (Pewaukee, Ill. / Pewaukee) did a nice job preventing further damage as he came in and recorded three outs without allowing a run.
• Cottrill worked a scoreless sixth, but was touched for two runs (one earned) in the seventh, allowing the Bears to build the lead to 10-3.
• The Beacons picked up a run in the top of the eighth as Amburgey led off the inning with a single and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.
• Lefty Kaden Kiser (Columbus, Ohio / Hamilton Township) came out of the bullpen to record three strikeouts as part of a scoreless eighth.
• A two-out hit by Amburgey in the ninth drove in Valpo's fifth run and made it 10-5, accounting for the game's final score.

Inside the Game

• Amburgey collected three hits to lead the team, tying a season high with his second three-hit game, both coming in the last four games as he had three a week ago in the Saturday game against Illinois State.
• Denty had a big day for the Beacons, reaching base in all four plate appearances. He notched a pair of singles and was hit by a pitch twice. The multi-hit game was his team-leading ninth of the season.
• Senior Kade Reinertson (Huxley, Iowa / Ballard Community) picked up a pair of hits including a double, his third multi-hit effort of the year.
• The 10 hits tied for the team's most in league play this season.

Up Next
The Beacons (8-21, 3-8) will close out the series in Springfield with the finale against the Bears on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+.