Box Score Senior Gavin Bennett (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) had two hits and freshman Cal Schembra (Greenwood, Ind. / Center Grove) tripled and scored in the ninth, but the Valparaiso University baseball team fell 9-4 to Illinois State in Sunday's series finale in Normal, Ill.
 
How It Happened

• Illinois State struck first as Brayden Bakes doubled and scored on a single by Michael Carrano in the bottom of the first.
• Valpo took advantage of two Redbirds errors, producing a run in the top of the third to tie the game at one. The unearned run crossed the plate as Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) beat out an infield single to short.
• A throwing error on a potential force play at the plate on a fielder's choice bouncer extended the bottom of the third, and Illinois State eventually scored three unearned runs in the inning to take a 4-1 lead.
• Defense remained an issue for both teams when a dropped fly ball in left to begin the top of the fourth inning came back to sting the Redbirds when Schembra crossed the plate on a double play ball to move Valpo to within two at 4-2.
• The Redbirds scored three times on four hits in the last of the fourth to build up a 7-2 lead.
• Redshirt sophomore Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) doubled into the left-field corner with two down in the top of the seventh, scoring Bennett to make it a 7-3 game.
• A two-run double by Illinois State's Payton McHarg in the bottom of the seventh increased the lead to 9-3.
• Schembra led off the top of the ninth with a stand-up triple, then trotted home as Brayden Pleau (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) grounded out to second.

Inside the Game

• The best Valpo pitching performance of the day was from freshman Joey Kafka (Mundelein, Ill. / Mundelein), who allowed no runs on one hit in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
• Bennett recorded his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
• Schembra notched his team-leading fourth triple of the season, two of which have come in the last five games. He moved into a tie for second in the Missouri Valley Conference, becoming one of four players in the league with at least four triples on the season.

Up Next
The Beacons (10-33, 3-15 MVC) will wake up bright and early on Tuesday for a "School Day" game at Milwaukee at 11 a.m. The contest will air on ESPN+.