The Valpo softball team split a pair of games on its final day of action at the Lindenwood Invite in St. Charles, Mo. on Saturday, holding off Western Illinois for a 4-3 win before falling to the host Lions 4-2. The games were the Beacons' final contests before starting MVC play next weekend.
 
How It Happened – Western Illinois

• Just like their first game on Friday, it took the Beacons just two batters to take the lead in their Saturday opener. Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) led off the game with a walk and stole second before scoring on a Grace Hollopeter (Lake Village, Ind./North Newton [Purdue Fort Wayne]) double.
• Hollopeter eventually came around to score on an RBI single from Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) to give Valpo a quick 2-0 lead.
• Hollopeter delivered her second RBI in as many innings in the top of the second, as her sacrifice fly plated Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon).
• It was 4-0 Valpo through two and a half innings. Cadan Brinkman (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community [Campbell/Wofford]) led off the top of the third with a triple and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame).
• WIU got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer, and then plated two more on a two-run single with two outs in the sixth to cut Valpo's lead to 4-3. The Leathernecks took advantage of an error to put the potential tying run in scoring position with one out in the seventh, but Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) notched back-to-back outs to close out the victory.

 
How It Happened – Lindenwood

• The hosts scored twice on three hits in the bottom of the first to take a lead they would not relinquish.
• Rodas delivered an RBI single in the top of the second to cut Lindenwood's lead to 2-1.
• The Lions got a two-run triple with two outs in the bottom of the third to extend their advantage to 4-1.
• Valpo went the next three frames without putting a runner into scoring position until piecing together a seventh-inning rally. Back-to-back walks led off the top of the seventh, and a Rodas single and subsequent Lindenwood error plated a run and put the potential tying runs in scoring position. But Lindenwood got the next two outs to finish up the win.

 
Inside the Games

• Gallagher extended her on-base streak to open the season to 17 straight games, as she reached twice with a hit and a walk against WIU before walking twice versus Lindenwood.
• Vrastil's stolen base versus WIU was her 15^th in as many attempts this year and pushed her career mark to a perfect 32-for-32.
• Hollopeter had two hits and drove in two runs in the win over the Leathernecks, while Vrastil, Gallagher, Brinkman and Rodas all reached base twice via a hit and a walk.
• Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) earned the win against WIU as she threw the first six innings to improve to 7-2 on the season. Lopez picked up the save with a shutout seventh inning, her second save of the campaign.
• Rodas went 2-for-3 in the finale against Lindenwood, while Gallagher drew two walks as the Beacons totaled just seven baserunners in the weekend's final game.
• Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) started and took the loss against the Lions as she threw the first 2.2 innings. Lopez tossed 3.1 innings of shutout relief.

 
Next Up
Valpo (9-8) opens MVC play next weekend at Southern Illinois, starting with a Friday doubleheader at 2 p.m.