With the wind blowing in between 15 and 20 miles per hour throughout the afternoon Sunday at the Valpo Softball Complex, it seemed like runs would be at a premium in the series finale between Valpo and UNI. But the opposite proved to be true, as the two teams combined for 25 hits and 17 runs, with the visiting Panthers eventually earning an 11-6 win.
 
How It Happened

• The Beacons scored in their first turn at the plate to take an early lead. Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) dropped a single into shallow left-center on the first pitch of the game and proceeded to steal second before advancing to third on a flyout. Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) then connected on a perfect squeeze bunt to plate Vrastil to give Valpo the 1-0 edge.
• UNI claimed the lead for good in the top of the second, using three hits to plate a pair of runs. The Panthers added a leadoff homer in the third to push their lead to 3-1.
• UNI's first six hitters reached in the top of the fifth, scoring five runs to make it an 8-1 game. With a runner on second and nobody out, it seemed the Panthers were poised to push the game into potential run-rule territory, but Kayla Purdy (Matthews, N.C./Porter Ridge) registered a strikeout for the first out and Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) then doubled up the runner after a flyout to keep UNI from adding any more runs.
• The Panthers got the game into a potential run-rule state in the top of the sixth with a pair of two-out run-scoring hits to extend their lead to 10-1.
• It took Valpo just three pitches in the bottom of the sixth to match the two-spot, however, and extend the game. Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) lined the first pitch she saw the other way through the right side of the infield, and Rodas took a 1-0 pitch and drove it over the fence in left field, into the wind, to cut the deficit to 10-3.
• UNI scored its final run on a two-out single in the top of the seventh.
• Despite trailing by eight runs entering its final turn at the plate, Valpo kept battling and made things interesting. Grace Hollopeter (Lake Village, Ind./North Newton [Purdue Fort Wayne]) pinch hit to lead off the inning and sent the first pitch she faced over the fence in right-center.
• Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) followed by working a walk and Lana Tellez (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) came through with a pinch-hit double to put two more runners into scoring position. After a pitching change, Vrastil lined a shot off the first baseman's glove, scoring Lopez to make it an 11-5 game with two on and still nobody out.
• The momentum stalled there, however. Krug did drive in a run with a fielder's choice grounder, but that resulted in the first out, and a ground-ball double play ended the game.

 
Inside the Game

• Vrastil continued her recent hot streak at the plate as she reached three times Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a walk for her 14^th multi-hit game of the year. She went 5-for-9 with a pair of walks in her 11 plate appearances in the series.
• The sophomore is on an eight-game hitting streak, tallying multiple hits in six of those games as she is 16-for-31 at the plate in that stretch.
• Vrastil also stole her MVC-best 20^th base of the season, moving her into a tie for eighth in program single-season history.
• Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) went 2-for-3 for her sixth multi-hit game of the season, while Lopez reached base twice as well with a hit and a walk.
• Rodas' home run was her second of the season and the fourth of her career, part of a three-RBI performance — her third three-RBI game of the campaign.
• Hollopeter connected on her first round-tripper at Valpo. Combined with her three years at Purdue Fort Wayne, it was the 28^th homer of her collegiate career.
• A trio of pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts Sunday, a single-game high this season for the Beacons' pitching staff. Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) led the way as she recorded all six of her outs via the strikeout, but ended up taking the loss as she fell to 7-7 on the season.
• Valpo recorded three outfield assists — two by Jackson and one by Krug. Jackson became the first Valpo player with multiple outfield assists in the same game since Taylor Lawson had a pair at Northern Illinois April 14, 2015, while it was the first time Valpo registered three outfield assists in one game since Lindsey Norway had two and Amanda Wisniewski one in the Horizon League Tournament opener against Butler May 10, 2012.

 
Next Up
Valpo (13-16, 2-6 MVC) steps out of conference play Wednesday to face a Purdue team receiving votes in the NFCA top-25 poll. First pitch of the quick trip to West Lafayette is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.