The Valpo softball team returned home for the first time in two weekends Saturday for an MVC doubleheader against visiting Missouri State, but the Bears came away with 8-3 and 8-0 victories.
How It Happened – Game One
- Missouri State scored a pair of two-out runs in the first inning, and then added two more runs in the second inning on an infield grounder to go up 4-0.
- Valpo cut the Bears’ advantage in half in the bottom of the third. Junior Taylor Herschbach (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) led off the inning with an infield single and came around to score on an RBI grounder from freshman Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central). On that same play, pinch-runner Regi Hecker (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Blue Springs South) took advantage of MSU miscues to score and make it 4-2.
- Valpo had the potential tying runs on base later in that inning with one out, but back-to-back outs kept the deficit at two runs.
- Missouri State posted three runs on four hits in the top of the fifth to extend its lead to 7-2, and added its final tally on a run in the top of the seventh.
- Valpo capped the scoring in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back two-out hits, as senior Addi Burke (Mesquite, Texas/John Horn) extended the game with a two-out single and scored on an RBI double from freshman Ashlyn Betz (Alton, Ill./Alton).
How It Happened – Game Two
- The Bears took the lead in their first at-bat with a pair of runs.
- MSU added five runs in the third and one in the fifth for the final margin.
- Junior Jaina Westphal (Waterford, Wis./Burlington) knocked a one-out single up the middle in the bottom of the third for Valpo’s lone hit of the game.
Inside the Games
- Westphal posted three hits over the doubleheader, going 2-for-3 in the opener before tallying a base knock in the nightcap.
- Betz (double, HBP) and sophomore Ryan Milkowski (Olathe, Kan./Olathe West) [single, walk] each reached base twice in the opener as well.
- Valpo turned a double play in both of Saturday’s games.
Next Up
Valpo will conclude its three-game series against the Bears with a single game from the Valpo Softball Complex on Sunday morning, with first pitch slated for 11 a.m.