The Valpo softball team jumped on top of a Purdue team receiving votes in multiple national top-25 polls Wednesday afternoon in West Lafayette, Ind. and was still tied with the Boilermakers through four innings before the hosts pulled away in the fifth inning to take the 10-2 win.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo plated two runs on four hits in its first turn at the plate. Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame), Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) and Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) all tallied singles to load the bases with two outs, and Cadan Brinkman (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community [Campbell/Wofford]) gave the Beacons the lead with a line-drive double to the wall in left-center.
• Purdue had four hits of its own in the bottom of the first, but was limited to one run, thanks in large part to the work of Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew), who threw out each of the top two batters in the Boilermakers' order attempting to steal.
• The Beacons threatened to add to their lead in the top of the second, as Sophia Leitzen (Orfordville, Wis./Brodhead) drew a two-out walk and Vrastil followed with a double to put two in scoring position. But after a pitching change, a pop-up ended the threat.
• Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) entered in relief and tossed a 1-2-3 second inning. Purdue did score one off Quickle in the third via small ball, as a single into shallow left and an infield single were followed by consecutive groundouts, tying the game at 2-2.
• Kayla Purdy (Matthews, N.C./Porter Ridge) entered in relief to start the fourth inning and had a perfect inning of her own.
• Purdue's offense broke the game open in the fifth, as the Boilermakers scored eight runs on seven hits, a walk, a hit batter and a Valpo error to end the game via run rule.

 
Inside the Game

• Despite the proximity of the two institutions, being located just about 90 minutes apart, Wednesday's contest was the first softball game between Valpo and Purdue since 2013.
• Krug was the lone Beacon with a two-hit game, as she went 2-for-3 with a run scored for her sixth multi-hit game of the season.
• Vrastil extended her hitting streak to nine straight games with her second-inning double ­— her seventh two-bagger in the last eight games. Over the course of the hitting streak, the sophomore is 17-for-34 at the plate.
• Maybe more impressive for Vrastil was her work behind the plate, cutting down both Khloe Banks and Moriah Polar attempting to steal in the opening inning. Banks was 12-for-13 on the basepaths prior to Wednesday, while Polar was 18-for-20.
• It is the second time this season Vrastil has thrown out multiple runners attempting to steal in the same game, as she did so as well in the nightcap at Murray State March 13.
• Vrastil is the first Valpo catcher to catch two runners stealing in the same inning since April 28, 2010, when Lisa DeBruzzi accomplished the feat at Wright State.
• Garnica extended her hitting streak to six consecutive games with her first-inning single.
• With her two-run double, Brinkman drove in multiple runs in a game for the first time as a Beacon.
• The third of Valpo's four pitchers Wednesday, Purdy was charged with the loss in the circle, falling to 0-2 on the season.

 
Next Up
Valpo (13-17) returns home to the Valpo Softball Complex this weekend, diving back into MVC play with a series against Indiana State. The revised schedule has the series opening Saturday with a doubleheader at noon.