Box Score Redshirt junior starting pitcher Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) totaled eight strikeouts and walked none, while senior Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) had a productive offensive day in his return to the lineup, but host Bradley scored nine times in the bottom of the seventh to invoke the run rule in a 14-4 victory over the Valparaiso University baseball team on Friday at Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill.
 
How It Happened

• The Beacons struck first in the top of the first, when Maka made his return to the starting lineup by lifting a double to right field. He crossed the dish on a two-out, two-strike single by Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) that plated a pair, giving Valpo an early 2-0 lead.
• Bradley's Jackson Smith led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run to slice the lead in half, but Lockwood retired the next three batters including two strikeouts to prevent further damage and keep a 2-1 edge.  
• The top of the second got off to a promising start as two hits to start the inning including a double by Kade Reinertson (Huxley, Iowa / Ballard Community) gave the Beacons second-and-third with nobody out and a golden chance to tack on, but a strikeout, foul out and ground out allowed Bradley starter Gavin Thompson to wiggle out of the jam.
• After a leadoff single, Lockwood struck out three straight to round out the second, keeping Valpo in front 2-1 and lifting his strikeout total to five through just two frames.
• Bradley scored three times in the third to take a 4-2 lead.
• In the top of the fifth, Maka and Connor Giusti (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) recorded back-to-back doubles to shrink the deficit to one at 4-3.
• Bradley picked up a run in the sixth on a two-out, runners-at-the-corners double steal with a delayed steal of home, increasing Bradley's lead to 5-3.
• Valpo got back within a run when Austin Amburgey (Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg) ripped an opposite-field single to left in the top of the seventh and Maka slid in safely on a close play at the plate.  
• Bradley scored nine times in the bottom of the seventh to invoke the run-rule.

Inside the Game

• Maka made his first start since March 28 at Evansville. He did not start the last 23 games and missed the first 22 of those with a hand injury.
• Lockwood struck out eight and walked none in his six plus innings. This lifted his league-leading season strikeout total to 75 and his career total to 187.
• This marked the fourth time this season that Lockwood pitched at least six innings and issued no walks.
• Lockwood's eight strikeouts marked his highest total since March 21 at Indiana State (10) and his third highest total of the season.
• Redshirt junior Christian Hack (Oak Forest, Ill. / Tinley Park) made his season debut, seeing his first game action since March 16, 2024 at Campbell after dealing with an injury.
• Maka made an impact in his return to the lineup, scoring three of the team's four runs. He went 2-for-3 with a single, double and walk while setting a season high and tying a career high in runs scored.
• Patton also had two hits for the Beacons.

Up Next
The Beacons (8-26, 3-19 MVC) will continue the series with Bradley on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill. The game will air on ESPN+ with a link to live video and stats available on ValpoAthletics.com.