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Valparaiso University

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Frost WMU
7
Valparaiso VALPO 8-37
9
Winner Bradley BRADLEY 13-33
Valparaiso VALPO
8-37
7
Final
9
Bradley BRADLEY
13-33
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Valparaiso VALPO 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 2 7 11 1
Bradley BRADLEY 0 5 0 0 0 3 1 0 X 9 14 0

W: Jackson Horras (1-2) L: Deliyannis, Harry (3-10) S: Reece Clapp (5)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Braves Fend Off Beacons in Middle Game

The Valparaiso University baseball team scored twice in the ninth and had the potential tying run on base, but host Bradley escaped with a 9-7 victory on Saturday at Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill.
 
How It Happened
  • Bradley hit for the team natural cycle in the second inning, with a single, double, triple and home run in that order to take a 4-0 lead, then added another run in the inning to make it 5-0, a frame that included six hits with four for extra bases and chased the Valpo starting pitcher from the game.
  • Righty Hunter Frost (Farmington, Minn. / Farmington) entered the game and prevented further damage in the second before working a scoreless third.
  • After going hitless over the first three innings, the Beacon bats came to life in the fourth. A two-run single through a vacated spot on the right side of the infield by Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) started the Valpo scoring, Patrick Ilitch (Detroit, Mich. / University Liggett) knocked in a run with a fielder's choice bouncer and Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) looped a run-scoring single to right center to make it 5-4 and end the day for the Bradley starting pitcher.
  • Frost put up another zero in the fourth, punctuating the inning with a strikeout as the Braves stranded a runner in scoring position. Frost left after 2 2/3 strong innings in which he allowed no runs on two hits and no walks while striking out two.
  • Redshirt junior Josh Cottrill (Pewaukee, Wis. / Pewaukee) entered for the fifth and put a zero on the board as Bradley stranded a man 90 feet away.
  • The Braves tacked on three runs in the sixth to increase the lead to 8-4, then picked up another in the seventh to make it 9-4.
  • Valpo tallied a run in the top of the eighth when Ilitch doubled on a ball lost in the sun in deep left, allowing Patton to score to make it 9-5.  
  • Freshman Evan Fulhorst (St. Peters, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt South) returned to the rubber and worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings late in the game, serving as a Beacon bright spot.
  • A string of three straight singles started the top of the ninth, the third of which was a knock by Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) that cut the lead to two. Later in the inning, Valpo had runners at first and second with one away trailing 9-7 and attempted a double steal, but the trail runner was cut down at second, and instead of having the potential tying run in scoring position with one away, there were two outs and a man at third, squashing the Beacon rally.
Inside the Game
  • Frost has worked scoreless ball in three of his last four outings. His 2 2/3 innings on Saturday marked a season long.
  • Fuhorst made his first appearance on the mound since March 15 at Illinois after missing time with an injury.
  • Patton had a trio of hits, his team-leading 13th multi-hit game of the season. This marked his third time this season with three hits or more. Denty, who is tied with Patton for the team lead in multi-hit games, and Sullivan added two hits apiece.
  • Maka was on base three times and has reached base six times in the first two games of this series, his first back in action after missing extended time with a hand injury.
  • Valpo finished with 11 hits, the team's highest total in the last 13 games.
Up Next
The Beacons (8-27, 3-20 MVC) and Braves will close the series under the Dozer Park lights on Sunday at 6 p.m. in Peoria. The game will air on ESPN+.  
 
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