Box Score The Valparaiso University baseball team tied a season-high with 10 extra-base hits and established a new season standard by launching three home runs, but the Beacons came up a run shy in a 13-12 setback to defending NCAA Super Regional champion and 2026 Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Murray State in the finale of a three-game, conference-opening series that was held at Braun Stadium in Evansville, Ind. due to the completion of field renovations at Murray State.
 
How It Happened

• The Beacons started the scoring in the top of the second, an inning that started modestly with two outs and nobody on base. An RBI double by Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) accounted for the game's first run, and later Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) spanked a two-run triple to deep right center to make it 3-0.
• Connor Cunningham led off the Murray State second with a solo home run that the wind carried over the wall in left, getting the Racers on the board at 3-1. That started a frame that saw the Racers bat around, as eventually Kris Hokenson's three-run homer broke a 3-3 tie and put Murray State ahead 6-3. An error and a hit on a ball lost in the sun aided the Murray State cause in the second inning.
• Redshirt freshman Javin Gauthier (De Pere, Wis. / De Pere) led off the third with a 355-foot drive to right that cleared the right-field fence, cutting the Murray State lead to two at 6-4.
• A double by Riley started the fourth, then he scooted home on a single by Michael Kuska (Pontiac, Ill. / Pontiac Township) to cut the lead to one. Sullivan doubled into the left-field corner for his second extra-base hit of the day, scoring Kuska from first to tie the game at six.  Later in the inning, Sullivan dashed across the dish on a wild pitch to give Valpo a 7-6 lead.
• Murray State scored five times in the fourth inning, regaining an 11-7 lead. They added single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings to open the lead to 13-7.  
• Freshman Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) led off the seventh with a 363-foot home run to reduce the lead to five at 13-8. George Betevis (Hanover Park, Ill. / Bartlett) doubled, then scored on a single to right by Gavin Bennett (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) that made it 13-9.
• The prosperous seventh-inning for the Beacons continued when Sullivan ripped his third extra-base hit of the game, a run-scoring double that made it 13-10. He eventually scored on an error to cap a four-run inning that got Valpo back into the game at 13-11.
• Friday's starter Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) was summoned from the bullpen with two outs in the seventh, and he recorded the final out to keep the Racers off the scoreboard in an inning where they stranded runners at the corners. Through seven, Valpo remained within striking distance, down two.
• Redshirt junior Thomas Cooper (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) crushed the first pitch of the eighth inning for a 436-foot home run, halving the deficit to one at 13-12.

Inside the Game

• Sullivan's triple was his second of the season, making him the third Beacon with multiple this season. The team has eight triples on the year.
• Gauthier's home run was his team-leading fourth of the season, and the second time in the series that he left the yard.
• Schembra's home run was his third of the season and first since Feb. 27 at Alabama State.
• Cooper's home run was his third of the season, all in his last five games.
• The Beacons' three home runs in a game marked a season high.
• Valpo tied a season high with 10 extra-base hits (previously Feb. 22 at Presbyterian). Valpo's six doubles also tied the PC game for a season high.
• Valpo lashed out 14 hits, tied for the team's second-highest total of the season, joining March 15 at SIUE and behind only 20 on Feb. 22 at Presbyterian. The Beacons and Racers were even in the hit column on Sunday with 14 knocks apiece.
• The Beacons had 31 total bases in Sunday's game, second-highest of the season behind 35 at PC.
• The 12 runs marked Valpo's third highest total of the season and fifth time in double figures.
• Sullivan went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored with two doubles and a triple. He enjoyed his first three-hit game of the season.
• Riley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored while doubling twice. He had his second two-double game and second three-hit game of the season.
• Guazzo was a pitching bright spot on a high-scoring day, not allowing a run over 1 1/3 innings of relief. He has worked scoreless ball in five of his last six outings.
• Valpo fell to 1-4 in one-run games this season and a combined 2-13 in one-run games in 2025 and 2026.
• This was the first time Valpo played a game decided by the exact score of 13-12 since May 10, 2003, a loss at Southern Utah.
• Valpo has scored first in 14 of the team's 19 games this season.

Up Next
The Beacons (6-13, 0-3 MVC) will play their first midweek game of the season on Tuesday at 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET at Purdue. The game will air on B1G+.