The Valpo softball team emerged victorious twice on its first day of competition at the Lindenwood Invite Friday in St. Charles, Mo., taking down Green Bay by a 5-2 final before defeating the host Lions, 4-1.
 
How It Happened – Green Bay

• Batting as the home team, it took the Beacons just two batters into the bottom of the first to take the lead, as Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) recorded an infield single and stole second before Grace Hollopeter (Lake Village, Ind./North Newton [Purdue Fort Wayne]) knocked her home with an RBI single.
• That might have been seen as the precursor for another big offensive performance from the Beacons, but it was the lone run they scored in the first three frames, while the Phoenix evened the score with an unearned run in the second.
• A big turning point came with the score tied and runners on the corners with one out in the top of the fourth, as Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) induced an inning-ending double play to keep it a 1-1 game.
• Valpo took advantage in its half of the fourth, stringing together three straight hits — the last a two-run single from Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) to give the Beacons a 3-1 lead.
• Green Bay got one run back in the top of the fifth before Valpo closed the scoring with a Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) RBI single and an Addie Young (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) sacrifice fly in its half of the inning. The Phoenix got the potential tying run on base in the sixth and to the plate in the seventh, but the Beacons were able to pitch around both instances to close out the win.

 
How It Happened – Lindenwood

• Valpo opened the scoring in the top of the second, as Rodas delivered a one-out triple and finished her trip around the bases on a sacrifice fly by Krug.
• A two-out mini-rally in the top of the fifth doubled the Beacons' lead. Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) connected on a double and Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) capped an 11-pitch at-bat with a run-scoring single.
• The hosts plated an unearned run with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to cut Valpo's edge to 2-1.
• Another two-out hit in the top of the sixth restored the two-run advantage, this time off the bat of Vrastil.
• Valpo capped the scoring as Cadan Brinkman (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community [Campbell/Wofford]) connected on a two-out solo homer in the seventh.

 
Inside the Games

• Valpo's win over Green Bay was its seventh straight in the all-time series.
• Valpo defeated Lindenwood for the first time in program history after dropping both matchups last season.
• Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) was involved in both victories in the circle Friday, earning the save against Green Bay with a scoreless seventh inning before throwing a complete-game four-hitter with nine strikeouts and a lone unearned run against Lindenwood.
• McDermott's six wins this season are already her single-season high, while the save was the second of her career. The complete game against the Lions was the 13^th in her time at Valpo.
• Quickle picked up her first collegiate win against Green Bay as she tossed the first four innings, giving up just two hits and an unearned run while striking out four.
• Rodas led the way against Green Bay at the plate with a perfect 3-for-3 game — the second three-hit game of her collegiate career and her first since going 3-for-4 against Drake April 22, 2023.
• Krug went 2-for-3 with two RBIs versus the Phoenix, while Vrastil picked up a pair of hits and stole two bases in the opening win as well — the sophomore is now 14-for-14 stealing bases this season and 31-for-31 for her career.
• Led by Vrastil's pair of swipes, Valpo stole five bases against Green Bay.
• The sophomore had a two-hit game against Lindenwood as well, giving her eight multi-hit games on the year.
• Highlighted by her home run — her second at Valpo and the fifth of her collegiate career — Brinkman posted her first career three-hit game against Lindenwood.
• A two-out single in the bottom of the sixth extended Gallagher's on-base streak and she reached twice on a hit and a walk versus Lindenwood to make it a 15-game on-base streak to open the season.

 
Next Up
Valpo (8-7) comes back on Saturday with two more games to close its final pre-conference weekend, taking on Western Illinois at 4:30 p.m. and Lindenwood at 7 p.m.