The Valparaiso University baseball team ran into one of the Missouri Valley Conference’s top arms on Saturday as DBU right-hander MD Johnson dazzled to the tune of six shutout innings in which he yielded just three hits, lifting the hosts to an 8-0 victory over visiting Valpo at Horner Ballpark in Dallas. Junior Riley Dent (Long Beach, Calif. / Wilson) was his team’s top performer with a three-hit output to go along with an impressive catch in left-center.

How It Happened

• Valpo freshman starting pitcher Colin Fields (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) struck out DBU’s Bryce Ball looking to retire the side in the bottom of the first as the Patriots stranded a man at second.
• However, DBU put up a crooked number against the rookie righty in the second. The first run was walked in, then Ben McConnell laid down a beauty of a bunt single along the third-base lane to make it 2-0. It ended up being a four-run frame as DBU sent 10 men to the plate.
• Fields bounced back to put a zero on the board in the third, but was chased from the game in the fourth, an inning that saw DBU tack on a run on an infield single despite a valiant diving effort by Sam Shaikin (West Hills, Calif. / Chatsworth).
• Tanner Skidmore (Timberville, Va. / Broadway [Potomac State]) threw one pitch to get out of the fourth, inducing a line-drive double play. However, DBU eventually tacked on three in the fifth to expand the lead to 8-0.
• James Meyer (Zionsville, Ind. / Zionsville) worked around a pair of walks to get through the bottom of the sixth without allowing a run.
• Mike Kornacker (Lemont, Ill. / Lemont [St. Laurence]) turned in two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, keeping DBU off the board in the seventh and eighth innings.

Inside the Game

• Dent singled in the third, fifth and eighth innings to account for the team’s first, third and fourth hits of the day. He enjoyed his eighth multi-hit game of the season, the second-most on the team. It was also his third three-hit showing in 2019, tied with Billinger for the most on the team. Dent added an impressive diving catch in left-center in the seventh inning to his quality day at the dish.
• This marked the second time in a week’s span that Meyer has entered a game and put a zero on the board, his second straight outing that consisted of a scoreless inning.  
• Fields (2-2) took the defeat after allowing five runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out four in 3 1/3 innings.
• Johnson (4-1) got the win to continue his strong season after limiting Valpo to just three hits over six scoreless innings while walking three and fanning six.

Up Next

Valpo (5-18, 0-2 MVC) and DBU (20-6, 2-0 MVC) will round out the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Horner Ballpark. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available.