Stepping out of MVC play for the first time in over five weeks, the Valpo softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at the Valpo Softball Complex Wednesday afternoon to an Eastern Illinois squad which came in atop the OVC standings. The visiting Panthers claimed game one by a 5-1 final and took game two, 9-2.
How It Happened – Game One
- Eastern Illinois scored a pair of two-out runs in the top of the first to take an early 2-0 lead.
- The Panthers added a run on the basepaths in the top of the fourth.
- Valpo answered with a run of its own in its half of the fourth. Senior Emily Crompton (Salem, Ill./Christ Our Rock Lutheran) singled with nobody out, and pinch-runner Lauren Sena (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) eventually scored on a single by freshman Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) and a subsequent EIU error.
- EIU closed the scoring with a two-run fifth inning.
How It Happened – Game Two
- Valpo claimed the lead in its first turn at the plate, as Krug doubled with two outs and came around to score on an error by the Panthers.
- Eastern Illinois jumped in front with a three-run second inning, all of which were unearned.
- The Panthers added four more runs in the top of the third to push their lead to 7-1.
- Sena added to the Beacons’ scoreline with a solo homer with two outs in the fourth.
- Eastern Illinois scored a single run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings to cap the scoring.
Inside the Games
- A trio of Beacons had multi-hit games in the opener as Valpo tallied eight total hits. Senior Regi Hecker (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Blue Springs South) went 2-for-4 for her third consecutive multi-hit game, giving her a team-best 11 on the season.
- Senior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) went 2-for-4 as well for her seventh multi-hit game and also stole a base, her 14th of the campaign — third-most in the MVC.
- Krug posted her fifth multi-hit game of the year with a 2-for-3 effort. The freshman added a hit in the nightcap as well, bumping her season batting average to .323.
- Crompton reached base twice in the opener with a hit and a walk, and also recorded a hit in the nightcap to extend her hitting streak to five straight games.
- Sophomore Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) reached twice in the opener as well with a pair of free passes, giving her 10 walks on the season.
- The Beacons were just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the opener and left 10 on base, the third time this year they’ve left at least 10 aboard.
- Freshman Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) threw the first six innings in the circle in the opener and took the loss.
- The nightcap was notable for the fact that Valpo almost completely rotated its lineup. Crompton and Krug were the only players to start both games, while the Beacons counted seven freshmen among their 10 starters.
- Freshman Lana Tellez (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) made her first collegiate start, batting second as the designated player.
- Four different players made their first collegiate start at their defensive position — Kaiah Fenters (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) in center field, Krug at third base, Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) at shortstop and Carson Kuhlmann (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) at second base.
- Sena’s home run in the nightcap was her first hit of the season. The junior has now gone deep for both of her career hits, as she hit a home run last year against Missouri State.
- Freshman Cici Wilson (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) reached twice in the nightcap with a double and a walk.
- Freshman Anna Wilming (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) went the distance in the circle for her second complete game of the season.
Next Up
Valpo (8-29) returns to conference play with a three-game series this weekend at Missouri State. The series opens Friday evening at 5 p.m.
