A strong outing from starting pitcher Ryan Mintz (Lombard, Ill. / Willowbrook) and an early burst of offense put the Valparaiso University baseball team in good position in Friday’s series opener, but visiting Evansville stormed from behind for a 13-6 victory at Emory G. Bauer Field. Valpo posted crooked numbers in each of the first two innings and held a 5-0 lead in the early going, but the Purple Aces rallied late.  

How It Happened

• Valpo jumped on the board in the opening inning as Riley Dent (Long Beach, Calif. / Wilson) and Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) both drove in runs to help the team to a 2-0 lead.
• Freshman Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo) crushed a three-run homer down the left-field line in the second to widen the cushion to 5-0.
• Mintz did not yield a run until the fourth, when Evansville started the inning with a string of three straight extra-base hits including a home run to whittle the edge to 5-3. However, Mintz returned to form following the brief hiccup, working out of that inning without further damage and sending down the side in order in both the fifth and sixth frames.
• Freshman Matt Olive (Minneapolis, Minn. / Blake School) ripped his first collegiate home run in the sixth to provide an insurance tally that boosted Valpo’s lead to 6-3.  
• After Mintz departed, Evansville scored six in the seventh and four in the eighth to take a 13-6 lead that stood as the final score.

Inside the Game

• Mintz did not factor into the decision after leaving in position for the win. He was charged with four runs on five hits while walking two and striking out six in 6 1/3 innings.
• Olive and Renfro had two hits apiece to lead the Valpo offense.
• Hannahs’ home run marked his third of the season. He increased his RBI accumulation to 18, now second on the team.
• Freshman Grant Jablonski (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) was a bright spot as far as the bullpen is concerned as he put a zero on the board in the top of the ninth.

Up Next

Valpo (13-27, 8-13) and Evansville (24-23, 7-13) will face off in a doubleheader as an important series in the MVC standings continues on Saturday. It’s Senior Day at Emory G. Bauer Field with an on-field ceremony slated to take place between games. The first contest will begin at high noon with links to live stats available on ValpoAthletics.com.