It was a celebratory Senior Day for the Valpo softball program on Saturday afternoon, as the Beacons rallied in the late innings for a pair of one-run wins over visiting Drake, 3-2 in the opener and 6-5 in the nightcap. Following the second win, the program feted Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park), Kaiah Fenters (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) and Lauren Sena (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) as the trio are in the midst of the final home series of their collegiate careers.
 
How It Happened – Game One

• The opener was a pitcher's duel through the first few frames, as Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) faced just one over the minimum through the first three innings. Meanwhile, Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) got to third base with two outs in the bottom of the third, but couldn't break through with the game's first run.
• Drake took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, as Emma Dighton led off the inning with a triple and Sami Miller followed with a shot that hit off the top of the fence in right-center and bounced over for a two-run homer.
• Valpo was held to just one base hit through the first five innings, but broke through against Drake ace Paige Bedsworth in the sixth. Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) led off the inning with a sharp single through the left side, and Lopez followed by knocking the first pitch she saw back through the circle to put two on with nobody out.
• Two batters later, Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) lined a pitch the opposite way for an RBI single, and perhaps just as crucially, moved up to second as the Bulldogs made an unsuccessful attempt to throw out Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) at third.
• This set up a second and third, one out situation in a one-run game, allowing head coach Mike Armitage to put on the squeeze play. Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) executed beyond perfection, not only plating Krug with the tying run, but deadening the bunt to the point she was able to beat it out for an infield single.
• That proved critical as Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) pinch hit and lofted a fly ball to right center that Rodas was able to tag up and score on, putting the Beacons in front, 3-2.
• With the lead, Lopez returned to the circle and closed things out with ease, retiring the side in order in the seventh as she ended the game with eight straight batters set down.

 
How It Happened – Game Two

• After stranding the bases loaded in the first, the Bulldogs opened the scoring in the second with a two-out RBI double.
• Valpo took advantage of Drake miscues in the field to score three unearned runs to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Lopez led off the inning with a double to the right-center gap, and an error and a fielder's choice where all runners were safe eventually loaded the bases.
• An infield grounder turned into a force at home for the second out, but Kyndal Shively (Bloomington, Ill./University) was up to the challenge, hitting a liner off the tip of the third baseman's glove and down the line for a two-run double to give the Beacons the lead. Valpo added another tally on a Drake error to claim a 3-1 lead through two innings.
• Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) allowed just one over the minimum over the next two innings, and as they've done all season long, the Beacons went to the bullpen. This time, however, Drake was able to get to Lopez, with the first three batters of the fifth scoring on a single, a double and a homer. Later in the frame, Heidi Wheeler beat out an inside-the-park home run to give the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead.
• As has seemingly been their modus operandi all season, Valpo has been at its best when its back is against the wall, and just as in the opener, the Beacons were able to rally from a late deficit. Vrastil beat out an infield single with one out in the bottom of the fifth, and two batters later, the Bulldogs wanted no part of Gallagher, walking her on four pitches to put two on with two out.
• In a fitting turn of events, that brought Lopez to the plate as the potential go-ahead run after her struggles in the top of the inning, and oh did the junior deliver in a big way. Lopez swung at the first pitch she saw and launched a no-doubt homer over the fence in left, a three-run shot which turned the tables and put Valpo on top, 6-5.
• The result was academic from there, as Lopez worked around a two-out single in the sixth and set the side down in order in the seventh for the second straight game.

 
Inside the Games

• There's been something about Senior Days at the Valpo Softball Complex over the last decade. Since 2016, Valpo is 9-5 on its Senior Day with six one-run wins, four of which were of the walk-off variety. The Beacons earned a walk-off win over UNI last season on Senior Day.
• Valpo entered Saturday's doubleheader just 1-19 all-time against Drake, while the Bulldogs had won all 14 matchups since Valpo joined the MVC.
• Saturday was the second time this season the Beacons have won multiple games by one run in the same day, as Valpo beat Loyola, 5-4, and Buffalo, 2-1, on March 7.
• It was Valpo's first doubleheader sweep with a pair of one-run wins since winning 1-0 and 4-3 at Charleston Feb. 18, 2022.
• Doubleheader sweeps at home have been even rarer in recent history, as Saturday was Valpo's first 2-0 day at the Valpo Softball Complex since defeating Bradley 2-1 and 4-1 April 28, 2018 — also a Senior Day. In fact, each of the program's last three twinbill sweeps at home have come on Senior Day, going back to the 2017 squad's sweep of Wright State.
• Five of Valpo's last 10 wins have come when the Beacons have been tied or have trailed in the fifth inning or later — this after they had to earn the win late in just one of their first 10 wins of the season.
• Valpo's six runs in the nightcap was its highest offensive output since its 8-4 win at Bradley April 5.
• Gallagher and Garnica were the story offensively in the opener, as both of them reached base three times — each going 1-for-1 with two walks. Gallagher drew a walk in the nightcap as well, giving her 34 free passes this year, fourth-most in a season in program history.
• Lopez went the distance in the circle in the opener, just her second complete game of the year and her first seven-inning complete game, and allowed just three hits in the victory.
• The complete game was only the third of the season for the Valpo pitching staff, which entered the day tied for the least complete games by any D-I team.
• Lopez got the job done with the bat in the nightcap, going 2-for-3 with a double, a homer and three RBIs. It was her 10^th double and her second homer of the season, while it was her fourth game with three or more runs driven in.
• The junior earned the win in the circle as well, bouncing back from a rough start to her relief appearance to retire seven of the final eight batters she faced. With her two victories Saturday, Lopez is 10-11 on the season.
• McDermott had a strong start in the nightcap, surrendering just one run in her four innings of work.
• Shively's second-inning double was the first extra-base hit of her collegiate career and also resulted in her first collegiate runs driven in.
• Vrastil stole one base in each of the two games Saturday to improve to 17-for-17 this year on the basepaths. Her 17 steals are tied for 10^th in a single season in program history, while she ranks sixth nationally in steals among players who have yet to be caught stealing.

 
Next Up
Valpo (20-25, 9-13 MVC) goes for the series sweep of the Bulldogs on Sunday at noon in the Beacons' final home game of the season.