Redshirt sophomore Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) homered and had the go-ahead, two-run single, while the Valparaiso University baseball team got quality pitching throughout the day, beating visiting Belmont 5-2 on Sunday at Emory G. Bauer Field. Sophomore Nick Baffa (Glenview, Ill. / Notre Dame College Prep) was the winning pitcher with six solid innings, while redshirt senior Dalton Swinehart (Elkhart, Ind. / Concord) dazzled for a second straight outing, securing a three-inning save in the series finale.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo struck first as Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) tripled on a ball that the left fielder could not quite corral in deep left to lead off the bottom of the second, before crossing the plate on a bouncer to short by Brayden Pleau (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly).  
• Sullivan smoked a home run down the left-field line to lead off the Valpo third, doubling the edge to 2-0.
• With two outs and one on in the top of the fourth, Belmont's Brody Langlotz tied the game with one swing as he homered down the left-field line, a ball that narrowly stayed fair as it whistled over the foul pole.
• Valpo responded in the bottom of the fourth as Pleau singled, Gavin Bennett (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) doubled and Sullivan stroked a two-run single to center to give the Beacons a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish.
• Baffa worked around a leadoff error to put up a zero in the top of the sixth, then Swinehart took over and worked a 1-2-3 seventh. The Bruins also went down in order against the righty in the top of the eighth, before Pleau stroked an RBI double down the third-base line to expand the lead to three in the bottom of the eighth.
• Belmont got a leadoff single in the top of the ninth, but that would be the only baserunner over three innings against Swinehart, who retired the next three men in succession, queuing the Emory G. Bauer Field DJ to blast the Valpo Fight Song over the loudspeakers.

Inside the Game

• Baffa allowed two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out four over six innings to earn the win with the quality start. Three of his last four starts have seen him go at least five innings and allow two runs or fewer. He has allowed one walk or fewer in three straight starts.
• Swinehart has come on strong over his last two outings, as he has combined for 7 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run while permitting just four hits, two walks and eight strikeouts. He went three shutout innings while striking out two, walking none and allowing just one hit in Sunday's save.
• Swinehart's save was the 10^th of his collegiate career and his first in a Valpo uniform.
• Valpo pitchers issued only two walks in the entire three-game series against Belmont.
• Sullivan, Pleau and Schembra had two hits apiece for the Beacons, who held a 10-7 edge in the hit column.
• Sullivan's home run was his fifth of the season and the 12^th of his two-year Valpo career. He has three long balls in his last nine games.
• Redshirt senior Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) continued to build up his on-base streak. He reached safely in all three games this weekend, drawing a walk to push the streak forward on Sunday. Riley has now been on base in 24 straight games, Valpo's longest since Kaleb Hannahs reached safely in 26 in a row during the 2024 campaign.
• Valpo has tied last season's overall win total with a dozen regular-season games to spare.

Up Next
The Beacons (10-29, 3-12 MVC) will visit Northern Illinois on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in DeKalb. The game will be streamed on NIU All-Access.