Valparaiso University

The Valpo softball game ensured it will go into the 2027 season on a three-game winning streak, as the Beacons completed a road series sweep of Evansville Saturday afternoon with a 4-1 win over the Purple Aces. In the process, Valpo tied single-season team records for both walks and saves.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo jumped in front in the top of the first inning. Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) led off the game with a line-drive double into the right-center gap. Later in the inning, with two outs, Grace Hollopeter (Lake Village, Ind./North Newton [Purdue Fort Wayne]) kept her hot bat going as she knocked a run-scoring single through the left side.
• Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) worked with the one-run lead through the first three innings, stranding runners on the basepaths in all three frames. Most notably, Evansville loaded the bases with two outs in the third before McDermott induced a lazy fly ball to right to maintain the edge.
• The big blow for the Beacons came in the top of the fourth. Valpo loaded the bases on a passed ball on a strikeout and two walks. With two away, head coach Mike Armitage called upon Cadan Brinkman (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community [Campbell/Wofford]) to pinch hit, and the redshirt junior took full advantage, drilling the first pitch she saw off the wall in right field for a bases-clearing double, giving the Beacons a 4-0 lead.
• That was it for the Beacons in the runs column, despite getting two runners on base in the fifth and sixth frames and one on in the seventh. But the four runs proved to be more than enough.
• Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) entered the game to pitch in the bottom of the fourth and tossed three straight shutout innings, allowing just one Evansville baserunner into scoring position in that stretch.
• With a four-run lead in the bottom of the seventh, Lopez surrendered a one-out walk and a single to bring the potential tying run on deck. Armitage made the call to go back to McDermott in the circle, who was greeted by a single to load the bases and bring the potential tying run to the plate with just one out.
• But that set the stage for Lilly Martinez (Hemlock, Mich./Hemlock) to make the big defensive play, as the freshman caught a medium-deep fly ball and fired a strike to third base to nail the Purple Aces runner attempting to tag from second. While Valpo lost the shutout on the play, as the runner tagging from third scored before the tag was applied at third base, it was of little consequence to the celebrating Beacons.

 
Inside the Game

• Saturday's win completed a series sweep of Evansville and a stretch which saw the Beacons win five of their final six MVC games.
• The Valley three-game series sweep was just Valpo's second since joining the MVC, as the program's last three-game sweep came against Bradley in 2018.
• Valpo won all three games against Evansville this weekend after owning just a 5-14 record against the Purple Aces since joining the Valley.
• Vrastil and Hollopeter both had multi-hit games, each going 2-for-4 at the plate. For Vrastil, it was her 22^nd multi-hit game of the season — the most by a Valpo player since Jordan Rutkowski had 22 multi-hit outings in 2012.
• Meanwhile, for Hollopeter, it capped a heater to close out the season. In Valpo's final two MVC series, the senior went 12-for-18 with three walks, two doubles, two homers, seven runs scored and 12 RBIs.
• Brinkman's three-run double accounted for her first three-RBI game as a Beacon. It was the first three-RBI pinch-hit plate appearance since Sam Stewart hit a three-run homer as a pinch-hitter against Cleveland State April 18, 2015.
• Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) reached base three times in her final collegiate game, picking up a hit and drawing two walks — the 12^th time this season she reached at least three times in a game.
• Valpo took five free passes in Saturday's win, the 16^th time this season it has earned five or more walks in a game — including all three games of this weekend's series.
• McDermott and Lopez combined to not allow the Purple Aces to score a run until the game-ending play. Lopez earned the win in relief with 3.1 innings of work to finish the season with a 9-8 record, while McDermott tossed 3.2 shutout innings over her two stints in the circle to register her third save.

 
Inside the Season

• Valpo closed the 2026 season with 22 wins, the program's highest win total since 2018. The 10 MVC wins also are the most since the 2018 squad as well.
• When Gallagher drew her leadoff walk in the seventh inning Saturday, it was the Beacons' 191^st free pass of the season, matching the program's single-season record.
• The season-ending save for McDermott was Valpo's ninth of the season, also tying a program single-season record.
• The Beacons' offense posted the fourth-best on-base percentage in program history, reaching at a .369 clip.
• Valpo's 364 base hits and 221 runs scored both were the program's highest total since 2015. The 61 doubles were the most by a Valpo team sine 2017, while 53 stolen bases with the most since 2011.
• Valpo struck out just 190 times at the plate, the program's lowest strikeout total offensively since 2009. Combined with the team's 191 walks, it is the first time in program history Valpo has finished a season with more walks than strikeouts at the plate.
• Gallagher finished her senior season with 41 walks, second-most in program history. Her .481 on-base percentage ranks fifth on the program's single-season chart, while she is also tied for sixth with 42 RBIs and tied for seventh with 10 home runs.
• Vrastil moved into Valpo's single-season top-10 in five different categories —doubles (15, 5^th), hits (64, 6^th), stolen bases (22, 7^th), fielding percentage (.993, t-9^th) and runs scored (39, 10^th).
• In the circle, McDermott made 40 appearances, tied for sixth by a Valpo pitcher in a single season, while Lopez's five saves are tied for fourth on that single-season chart.

 
Inside the Careers
Saturday's victory was the final collegiate game for seven Valpo seniors.

• Gallagher played in 200 games in her four collegiate seasons, playing two years at MSU Moorhead before spending her final two at Valpo. A two-time All-Conference selection at MSU Moorhead, she totaled 178 hits, 33 homers, 156 RBIs and 119 walks over her four seasons. Gallagher closed her Valpo career fifth in program history with a .437 on-base percentage and sixth with 77 walks.
• Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) appeared in 137 games over four seasons at Valpo, recording 62 hits, 35 RBIs and 16 runs scored. She set the program's single-season record as a junior, getting hit by a pitch 11 times.
• Hollopeter played in 190 games over her four collegiate seasons, the first three of which she spent at Purdue Fort Wayne. A two-time First Team All-Horizon League honoree with the Mastodons, she totaled 186 hits, 100 runs scored, 30 home runs and 136 RBIs over her four seasons. Hollopeter was named MVC Newcomer of the Week this season on April 28.
• Lopez appeared in 188 games in her four collegiate seasons — two at MSU Moorhead and two at Valpo. At the plate, she racked up 158 hits, 65 runs scored and 101 RBIs, while in the circle, she posted a 3.10 ERA with 46 wins, 11 saves and 348 strikeouts. A First Team All-Conference selection as a sophomore at MSU Moorhead, Lopez was a two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week and a Second Team All-MVC honoree last season. She is third in Valpo program history with nine career saves and 10^th with a .261 opponents' batting average against.
• McDermott made 103 appearances in the circle in her three years as a Beacon, starting 73 times. She tallied 19 wins and four saves while striking out 241 batters. McDermott, who was a member of the MVC All-Tournament Team in 2024, is tied for sixth in program history in career saves, tied for ninth in pitching appearances and 10^th in strikeouts.
• Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) saw action in 194 games in her four years at Valpo. She finished with 111 hits, 44 runs scored and 59 RBIs. A member of the MVC All-Defensive Team in 2025, Rodas ranks eighth in program history with 69 walks and 10^th with 309 assists.
• Lyna Vasquez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Valley View) appeared in 123 games in her four years as a Beacon. She tallied 23 hits, 30 walks and 19 runs scored.