The Valparaiso University baseball team raced out to a 3-1 lead through four innings, but Western Michigan scored the game's final six runs to prevail 7-3 in a nonconference midweek matchup on Tuesday at Emory G. Bauer Field.
How It Happened
- The Beacons started the scoring when redshirt freshman Aidan Thaxton (Chicago, Ill. / St. Ignatius College Prep) stroked a run-scoring single in the bottom of the third.
- Western Michigan produced a run in the top of the fourth to get even, but Valpo took the lead in the bottom of that inning as senior Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) lifted a sacrifice fly and Patrick Ilitch (Detroit, Mich. / University Liggett) drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-1.
- Valpo received fine starting pitching from freshman Nick Baffa (Glenview, Ill. / Notre Dame College Prep), who yielded one run on three hits while walking one and striking out two over 3 1/3 innings. However, Western Michigan scored at least one run in five straight innings from the fourth to the eighth with the bulk of the damage coming against the Beacon bullpen.
- The Broncos got two in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth. The final Valpo hurler was Lucas Foley (Deer Park, Ill. / Lake Zurich), who went 1 2/3 innings and allowed no runs on one hit and struck out one, the best day of any Valpo reliever.
Inside the Game
- Valpo had eight hits, its highest total in the last eight games.
- Thaxton and Thomas Cooper (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) led the way with two hits apiece. Thaxton's ninth-inning double was the team's lone extra-base knock.
- The Beacons played relatively clean defense, far better than this past week vs. UIC, as the lone error came on a stolen base / E2.
- Senior Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) entered the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, making his return to the diamond for his first action since March 28 at Evansville. He missed the previous 22 games with a hand injury.
Up Next
The Beacons (8-34) will visit Bradley at Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill. for a three-game series that starts on Friday at 11 a.m. All three games will air on ESPN+. The games will all have unusual start times with 11 a.m. games on Friday and Saturday before the series finale on Sunday at 6 p.m.