The Valparaiso University baseball team gave up crooked numbers in each of the first two innings and could not recover in a 14-3 defeat to Missouri State on Sunday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field. Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran) and Kyle Schmack (Wantah, Ind. / South Central) both belted bombs for the Beacons.  

How It Happened

• Missouri State scored four times in the opening inning, three of which were unearned as the frame was extended by a dropped fly ball.
• The Bears broke it open with six in the second.
• A Missouri State run in the fourth extended the lead to 11-0, but Valpo got on the board in the bottom of the inning when Ryan ripped a solo shot.
• The Beacons moved a step closer in the fifth as Schmack drilled a home run to make it 11-2.
• Missouri State scored on a solo shot by Zack Stewart in the top of the sixth before Valpo got a run back on a dropped fly ball in the bottom of the inning.
• Neither team scored again until the top of the ninth, when Missouri State picked up two to widen the gap to 11.

Inside the Game

• Valpo saw its three-game errorless streak come to an end.
• Ryan had a big day at the dish, racking up three of the team’s eight hits including a pair of extra-base knocks. The home run was his second of the series, sixth of the season and the ninth of his collegiate career.
• Schmack ripped his 30^th career home run, becoming just the third player in program history with 30, joining J.J. Swiatkowski (36, 1997-2000) and Mark Pederson (32, 1998-2002).
• The home run was Schmack’s 12^th of the season, tying Jake Skrine’s total from last season for the most by a Valpo player since 2002.

Up Next

Valpo (13-25, 4-11) will visit Northern Illinois on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. first pitch in DeKalb, Ill. Live video will be available via NIU All-Access with links to live coverage available on ValpoAthletics.com.