Baseball Drops Opener at Nationally-Ranked Indiana State

The Valparaiso University baseball team dropped the opener of a four-game, weekend series with Indiana State 5-0 on Friday afternoon at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Ind. The No. 23 Sycamores received a masterful pitching performance from ace Geremy Guerrero. Valpo continued to pitch well, but a strong effort on the mound was outdone by the best pitcher on one of the nation’s best teams.

How It Happened

  • Valpo starter Easton Rhodehouse (Gilbert, Ariz. / Highland) struck out three over two scoreless innings. He wiggled out of a second-inning jam with help from third baseman Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo), who fielded a ground ball and threw out a runner trying to score to keep the contest scoreless.
  • The Sycamores jumped on the board with three two-out runs in the third. An RBI double by Miguel Rivera and a two-run triple by Aaron Beck supplied the scoring.
  • After being touched for three runs in his first frame of work, Ryan Mintz (Lombard, Ill. / Willowbrook) settled in to send down the side in order in both the fourth and fifth frames.
  • Designated hitter Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) ended Guerrero’s no-hit bid in the sixth by ripping one to right for Valpo’s first knock of the afternoon. The Brown & Gold mounted a threat in that frame as Jake Kapers (Schererville, Ind. / Mount Carmel) drew a walk, but the Sycamores escaped without yielding a run.
  • A double play helped Mintz post another scoreless frame in the sixth, then he was touched for a single tally despite striking out a pair in the seventh. That run came on a two-out single by Josue Urdaneta and made it 4-0 in favor of Indiana State.
  • The Sycamores got their final run in the bottom of the eighth as Beck doubled down the left-field line.

Inside the Game

  • Renfro and Riley Dent (Long Beach, Calif. / Wilson) accounted for the Valpo hits.
  • Rhodehouse worked two scoreless frames and yielded three hits. The righty has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all 11 appearances this season, and he now has 29 strikeouts against just five walks in 22 innings.
  • Mintz (0-3) allowed four runs on six hits while striking out four and walking none over his five innings. Valpo pitching issued just one walk against eight strikeouts, the fourth time this season the team has allowed one walk or fewer and the first time in the last seven games.
  • Valpo played errorless defense for the ninth time this season.
  • Guerrero threw a two-hit shutout and improved to 7-0 on the season.

Up Next

Valpo (5-17, 0-5) and Indiana State (17-8, 4-1) will match up again on Saturday at noon CT in a doubleheader in Terre Haute. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN3. Links to live video, audio and stats are available on ValpoAthletics.com.