The Valparaiso University baseball team returned to the win column in memorable fashion on Friday afternoon, as the Beacon bats produced 24 runs and racked up 19 hits on another hitter-friendly day with the wind blowing out at Emory G. Bauer Field, invoking the 10-run rule in a 24-14, eight-inning victory over visiting Southern Illinois that featured four lead changes and saw six different innings of five runs or more. Valpo produced its highest run total in 15 years as part of the highest-scoring game in the 55-year history of Emory G. Bauer Field.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo starter Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) sent down the side in order in the first with a pair of strikeouts, but that would be one of the few quick innings of the day on either side. The Beacons jumped ahead from the get-go with a five-run bottom of the first including a two-run single by Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd).
• The Salukis got on the board in the top of the second with an unearned run after the inning was extended on a muffed throw error by the first baseman on a would-be double play ball. Valpo added to the lead as Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) ripped a run-scoring double and Patrick Ilitch (Detroit, Mich. / University Liggett) had an RBI single to make it 7-1 in the bottom of the second.
• Southern Illinois scored seven runs on seven hits including three home runs in the top of the third, taking an 8-7 lead.
• Lockwood rebounded to work 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, then Valpo scored five times with help from two SIU errors in the bottom of the fourth, including a two-run single by Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) that made it 12-8 Valpo.
• Southern Illinois regained the lead in the top of the fifth by scoring six times to go ahead 14-12. The inning featured two more home runs for the Salukis.
• Valpo scored five in the bottom of the fifth, the third straight half inning that featured at least five runs. Sullivan had an RBI double, and later Spencer Warfield (Fullerton, Calif. / Servite) lifted a three-run, go-ahead home run to snap a 14-all stalemate and give the Beacons the lead by the football score of 17-14 through five innings.
• The most impressive performance on the diamond in Friday's game came from the left arm of Lucas Foley (Deer Park, Ill. / Lake Zurich), who came on in relief to begin the top of the sixth with Valpo clinging to the three-run lead. He yielded just one hit and no walks over three scoreless innings in difficult pitching conditions.
• After the first five zany innings, neither team scored again until the bottom of the eighth, when Valpo put up a touchdown by scoring seven times to invoke the run rule. Thomas Cooper (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) had an RBI double, Giusti a run-scoring single, Sullivan a three-run homer, Kade Reinertson (Huxley, Iowa / Ballard Community) an RBI single and Denty a game-ending RBI double.

Inside the Game

• Valpo's 24 runs marked the program's most in a single game since scoring 26 on April 2, 2010 vs. Chicago State, surpassing 20 last season vs. UIC and 23 in 2018 vs. Milwaukee. In the 2010 game vs. Chicago State, Valpo scored an NCAA-record 21 runs in one inning (the fifth).
• Valpo's 24 runs were the third most scored by a Missouri Valley Conference team in a league game this season, behind only Missouri State's 25 on April 13 vs. Valpo and Southern Illinois' 25 on March 28 vs. Bradley.
• The 19 hits marked Valpo's highest total since May 21, 2016 vs. Youngstown State (21). The 19 hits tied for the second-highest by an MVC team in league play this season, behind only Bradley's 23 on April 19 vs. Illinois State.
• The 38 combined runs were the most in a Valpo game since 50 runs were scored in a 31-19 loss at Ball State on April 4, 2006. This marked the highest-scoring game in Emory G. Bauer Field history dating all the way back to the ballpark's 1970 opening.
• This marked Valpo's first win by run rule and largest margin of victory since beating UIC 20-0 on April 28 of last season.
• Lockwood allowed 14 runs (13 earned) on 14 hits and three walks in five innings and amazingly was the winning pitcher, making up for all the times he took tough-luck losses due to a lack of offense.
• We're not sure about college baseball, but in the big leagues the last time a pitcher allowed 14 runs and picked up the win was July 10, 1932 when Eddie Rommel pitched the final 17 innings of the Philadelphia Athletics' 18-17, 18-inning win over the Cleveland Indians. The last time a big-league pitcher started a game, gave up at least 14 runs and got the win was Chick Fraser of the A's on May 31, 1901, a 15-14 victory over Cleveland.
• Foley earned the save (yes, you can have a save in a run-rule game), the first of his career.
• Sullivan had four hits including two doubles and a home run while driving in six. He had the first six-RBI game by a Beacon since Riley Dent on May 1, 2021 vs. Illinois State. His four hits also marked a season high.
• Denty tied a career high with four hits while also driving in three, walking once and scoring twice.
• Giusti had a three-hit, three-RBI game as well.
• Sullivan's home run was his sixth of the season and first since April 22.
• Warfield's home run was his second of the series, fifth of the season and seventh of his Valpo career.
• So far in this series, Valpo has 35 runs on 32 hits including seven home runs. Southern Illinois has 27 runs on 34 hits including 12 home runs. In two games, the two teams have combined for 62 runs, 66 hits and 19 home runs.
• Friday's game was higher scoring than five Valpo football games from this past fall.
• Valpo ended a 21-game losing streak, which was the longest active streak in Division-I and the longest in program history, surpassing an 0-20 start to the 1993 season.

Up Next
The Beacons (9-40, 4-22) will close out the season on Saturday at 1 p.m. with the rubber match of the three-game series against the Salukis at Emory G. Bauer Field. The Senior Day pregame ceremony will begin at 12:35 p.m. Admission is free and the game will air on ESPN+.