The Valpo softball team dropped its final two games against MVC-leading Belmont Saturday afternoon at the Valpo Softball Complex, falling by final scores of 5-2 and 6-0.
 
How It Happened – Game One

• Belmont opened the scoring in the top of the first with a two-out RBI single.
• After going until the fifth inning before picking up their first base hit against Bruins ace Maya Johnson one day earlier, the Beacons put together a first-inning threat, as Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) and Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) connected on consecutive two-out singles. A foul-out prevented Valpo from matching the Bruins' opening tally.
• Belmont added another single run in the top of the fourth, a two-run homer in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh to grow its lead to 5-0.
• Down to their final turn at the plate, the Beacons started to put things together in the seventh. Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) got it going with a line-drive single with one out, and two batters later, Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) knocked the first pitch she saw right back up the middle.
• Sophia Leitzen (Orfordville, Wis./Brodhead) worked a full count before connecting on a single the opposite way, plating pinch-runner Cici Wilson (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) and moving Jackson to third. Grace Hollopeter (Lake Village, Ind./North Newton [Purdue Fort Wayne]) followed by dropping a single into shallow right field to score Jackson — however, instead of bringing the potential tying run to the plate, the play ended the game, as Belmont recorded the third out on the basepaths.

 
How It Happened – Game Two

• Valpo was stymied by Belmont starting pitcher Ellie Giles for her six innings of work, as a two-out walk by Hollopeter in the third, a two-out single from Jackson in the fifth, a leadoff single by Hollopeter in the sixth and a two-out walk by Lana Tellez (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) in the sixth were the only Beacon baserunners against her.
• Belmont got on the board with a pair of unearned runs in the third inning.
• The Bruins closed the scoring in the fifth with an inside-the-park grand slam by Maddy Balsiger, as she hit a shot to the fence in left and was able to circle the bases as Valpo's left fielder went down with an injury while chasing the ball.
• Valpo put together a mini-rally in the bottom of the seventh against Belmont reliever Hannah Leierer, loading the bases with one out on a Bruin error and back-to-back walks drawn by Lyna Vasquez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Valley View) and Addie Young (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin). But back-to-back outs closed out the shutout.

 
Inside the Games

• Seven different Valpo players combined for the seven hits off of Johnson in the opener, the second-most hits the All-American has surrendered this season — only Georgia, with eight hits, out-performed Valpo's output Saturday.
• With the last out of the opener coming on the basepaths, the Beacons' last three batters of the game all picked up base hits. It marks the first time this season that Johnson has surrendered base hits to three consecutive batters.
• Last season, Johnson gave up base hits to three straight batters just four times — notably, Valpo was one of the teams to accomplish that feat last year as well, doing so in its April 17 game in Nashville.
• Valpo struck out just seven times against Johnson, who entered the weekend the nation's leader in strikeouts per seven innings at 13.9 — the seven strikeouts are the fewest Johnson has recorded in a game this season.
• All that said, Johnson did earn the win, with Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) taking the loss to fall to 2-4 on the year as she gave up two runs in four innings of work in her start.
• Quickle came back in the nightcap and threw 2.2 shutout innings to close out the game. Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) fell to 8-9 after giving up a pair of unearned runs in three innings in her start.
• Jackson and Hollopeter both had a hit apiece in each of Saturday's two games. Hollopeter also drew a walk in the nightcap to reach base twice in that game.

 
Next Up
Valpo (16-23, 4-12 MVC) is scheduled to host UIC in an MVC doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon, with the first pitch of game one slated for 12:30 p.m.