The Valparaiso University baseball team’s attempt to rally fell shy on Friday afternoon as visiting Bradley edged the Beacons 7-6 in a tightly-contested series opener at Emory G. Bauer Field. Freshman Ryan Maka (Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest) turned in a three-homer game, ripping solo shots to right in the third, seventh and ninth.

How It Happened

• Bradley raced out to a 5-0 lead by scoring on a solo homer in the first, a two-run single in the second and a two-run homer in the third. On the flip side, Valpo stranded the bases loaded in the first and runners at second and third in the second.
• Valpo battled back in the bottom of the third when Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central) yanked a run-scoring double and eventually dashed home on a wild pitch before Maka connected on his first home run of the day.
• Bradley extended its trend of scoring in each inning by pushing across single runs in the fourth and fifth frames.
• Maka’s second long ball came in the seventh and cut the lead to 7-4, then Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) singled to drive in Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran), who had doubled, cutting the lead to two.
• Valpo stranded a runner at second in the eighth, then Maka led off the ninth by completing his three-homer game. A two-out double by Thurston put the potential tying run in scoring position, but he was stranded there as Bradley escaped with the win.

Inside the Game

• Maka became the 50^th player nationally and second player in the Missouri Valley Conference with a three-homer game this season, joining Illinois State’s Ryan Cermak (April 6 vs. Western Illinois). He became the first Valley player with a three-homer contest in league play this year.
• Maka became the first Valpo player with a three-homer game since Blake Billinger on May 8, 2018 at Western Michigan. Prior to that, the last Valpo three-homer game was Andrew Quinnette in 2008.
• Maka had one collegiate home run prior to Friday.
• Maka became the fourth Valpo player to notch four or more hits in a game this season. He joined Nolan Tucker (twice), Kaleb Hannahs and Alex Thurston. His four hits marked a career high, as did his three RBIs.
• Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) lashed out three hits, his third three-hit game of the year and ninth multi-hit output. Thurston and Adam Brauch (Waukee, Iowa / Dowling Catholic) added two hits apiece, while Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) worked three walks.
• The Valpo bullpen continued its recent stretch of success as Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) and Bobby Nowak (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central [Kankakee]) combined for four shutout innings of three-hit ball while walking one and striking out six.
• This marked the third straight weekend series opener where Valpo fell despite outhitting the opposition. The Beacons registered 14 hits to Bradley’s 11.
• Valpo starting pitcher Colin Fields (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) struck out nine, the 12^th time in 13 starts this season that he’s struck out seven or more. With his first strikeout of the day, Fields became the first Valpo player since 2010 to reach a three-digit strikeout total in a season while also hitting the 250-career-strikeout milestone.
• Fields surpassed Richard Scheub (1949) for fifth in single-season program history. He finished the day with 108 strikeouts this season, fifth in program history and 19 away from tying the single-season program record.
• Fields advanced two places on the career strikeout list on Friday, boosting his career total to 258, which ranks fifth in program history. He passed Shawn Barker (1987-1990, 253) and Bryce Shafer (2008-2010, 250) in Friday’s game against the Braves.  
• The Beacons dropped to 3-3 in one-run games and 6-7 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

Up Next

Valpo (14-29, 3-13 MVC) and Bradley will continue the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. A link to live stats is available on ValpoAthletics.com.