The Valparaiso University baseball team suffered its third straight one-run loss on Sunday afternoon in Wichita, Kan. Travis Young, the same player who lashed a walk-off single to beat the Crusaders on Friday night, struck again. This time he snapped a 3-3 tie in the ninth with a one-out walk-off single to right to give the Shockers a 4-3 victory, their third straight one-run win in the series. 

How It Happened

• The Crusaders (9-16) delivered the first blow of the game in the opening inning. James Stea (Los Alamitos, Calif. / Oaks Christian) provided a leadoff single, Chad Jacob (Irvine, Calif. / Woodbridge) was hit by a pitch and both runners advanced on a double steal. Jake Hanson (Yorkville, Ill. / Aurora Christian) hit a bouncer to short and Jacob was caught in a run down between second and third. He was eventually tagged out for the second out of the inning, but Stea scored to make it 1-0 Valpo.
• The Shockers (14-13) leveled the score by virtue of a two-out rally in the bottom of the second. A line drive to Scott Kapers (Schererville, Ind. / Mt. Carmel) at second base started a double play, putting the Crusaders one out away from ending the inning with nobody on base. However, No. 9 hitter Jordan Boyer eventually stroked a run-scoring single to left to tie the game at one. Wichita State settled for the one run as they stranded a pair in the inning.
• Jake Larson (Irvine, Calif. / Woodbridge) replaced Michael Mommersteeg (St. Thomas, Ont., Canada / St. Joseph’s) on the hill to begin the bottom of the third, as Valpo went to the bullpen early. Greyson Jenista belted a go-ahead homer to right, giving Wichita State a 2-1 edge.
• The Crusaders had a quality chance to get back to even right away in the fourth as Hanson led off with a two-bagger, but it went to waste as the Crusaders stranded two runners in the frame.
• Valpo mounted a threat in the top of the sixth inning as Hanson walked, Kapers singled through the left side and the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball. However, the runners were left stranded.
• The Crusaders broke through with a pair of runs in the seventh, as a dropped third strike and walk created a scoring chance. Nate Palace (Westlake Village, Calif. / Oaks Christian) grounded a game-tying single up the middle to score Stea. Hanson followed by belting a go-ahead double into the left-field corner. Jacob crossed the plate, but Palace was thrown out trying to score from first. The Crusaders inched ahead 3-2.
• The Shockers quickly got back to even as Young ripped a run-scoring single to left against Ellis Foreman (Round Rock, Texas / Stony Point) in the bottom of the seventh. That scored Boyer, who had started the rally with a one-out hit.
• Montana Quigley (Lake Forest, Calif. / El Toro) was summoned from the bullpen with the tall task of trying to work out of a jam as the Shockers had men at the corners with one away. He faced only one batter and did just that, inducing a ground ball to Palace at first who stepped on the bag and threw home for a 3-2, inning-ending double play. The score remained 3-3 through seven.
• Valpo had a man at second with one away in the top of the eighth but didn’t score. The inning ended on a deep fly ball crushed to left-center by Stea, but Alex Jackson made a sliding grab on the warning track to take away an extra-base knock.
• The Crusaders had runners at first and second with nobody out in the top of the ninth, but the Shockers turned a 5-4-3 triple play.
• The Shockers walked off with the win on a single to right by Young in the bottom of the ninth. A single, hit batter, passed ball and intentional walk had loaded the bags.

Inside the Game

• Stea’s three-hit output was his second of the season. Sunday’s game marked his seventh multiple-hit performance, making him the fifth Crusader with at least seven multi-hit games this year.
• Hanson’s RBIs marked his 10^th and 11^th of the season. He became the third Crusader with double-figure RBIs, joining Palace and Jacob. Palace extended his team lead with his 19^th run driven in.
• Stea swiped two bases, boosting his season total to 14. Wright State’s Zach Weatherford leads the Horizon League with 15.
• Mommersteeg received no decision after allowing one run (earned) on three hits and one walk in two innings.
• Wichita State starting pitcher Cody Tyler hurled five frames and yielded one run (earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out four.
• Easton Rhodehouse (Gilbert, Ariz. / Highland) was hit with the loss to drop to 2-3, while Wichita State’s Clayton McGinness accomplished the rare feat of earning the win and pitching a full inning while throwing only one pitch. He delivered the heave that turned into Wichita State’s first triple play in 15 years.
• The Crusaders lost three one-run games in the series. They are now 0-8 in one-run games this season.
• Chase Dawson was sidelined due to an illness for the third straight game.

Next Up

The Crusaders will play their 26^th straight road game on Tuesday at Illinois State in Normal, Ill. The game begins at 4:30 p.m. CT. and will be broadcast on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Links to live video and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.