Freshman Sam McGee (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) dealt a five-hit shutout in the nightcap
of a twinbill Saturday afternoon in Green Bay, Wis., as Valparaiso
defeated the Phoenix,
3-0. The Crusaders rallied from a
five-run deficit in the opener before succumbing in nine innings, 6-5.
McGee scattered five hits and
one walk while striking out six Phoenix
batter, allowing just one Green Bay baserunner to get as far as third
base. She improved to 9-3 on her rookie
season with her second career shutout.
Valpo got the only run it
would need in the top of the third. Jill Jacobson (Beecher,
Ill./Beecher) and Karen Korb (Indianapolis,
Ind./Lutheran) led off the inning
with back-to-back singles. While
Jacobson would later be erased on a fielder’s choice, Korb advanced over to
third base with one out and came home to score on the back end of an attempted
double steal.
The Crusaders added an
insurance tally in the fourth inning, as with one out, Whitney Warner (Greenwood,
Ind./Center Grove) lined a single
into left field. Pinch-runner Lisa DeBruzzi (Carlisle,
Mass./Concord-Carlisle) eventually crossed the plate on an RBI double by Joylyn Ichiyama (Torrance,
Calif./Redondo Union). DeBruzzi scored Valpo’s final run of the game
as well, knocking a one-out single into left field in the sixth and coming
around to score on an RBI single from Sadie
Conner (Washington, Ill./Washington).
Valpo tallied 13 hits on the
game, led by two apiece from Conner, Jacobson, Korb and Jordan Rutkowski (Alden, N.Y./Alden). Amanda Margelofsky took the loss for Green Bay, falling to 8-7
after giving up three runs in her 5.2 innings of work.
“Sam pitched a really good
game for us today,” said Crusader assistant coach Amy Wittgenstein. “You’re
always happy to go out on the road in league play and pick up a win, but we
just need to get our bats going a little sooner tomorrow to come out with the
series win.”
The Phoenix erupted offensively early in the
opener, pushing across five runs on nine hits in the first three innings to put
the Crusaders in an early hole. Valpo
started the slow crawl back in the fourth, as it loaded the bases with two outs
for pitcher Alex Lagesse (Beecher,
Ill./Beecher), who delivered a single through the left side to plate Ashley Wolter (Denver, Iowa/Denver) and
KC Boldt (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing)
to cut the deficit to three runs.
Korb put one more run on the
board in the fifth, leading off the frame with a solo home run to center,
Valpo’s 23rd long ball of the season to set a new single-season
program record. The senior also
delivered an RBI single in the sixth to score Lagesse, and the comeback was
completed in the top of the seventh when Rutkowski led off with a solo blast to
center field, tying the game at five. Green Bay loaded the
bases with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, but Wolter’s diving catch
on a line drive preserved the tie and sent the game to extra innings.
Valpo’s best chance at scoring
in extras came in the eighth, when Korb walked with two outs and stole second,
but a groundout ended the threat. The Phoenix eventually won
the game in the bottom of the ninth, getting a leadoff double from pinch-hitter
Samantha Howe followed by an RBI single from Melani Niederer.
Stephanie Kelly (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) took the loss
for the Crusaders, starting and throwing a total of three innings, allowing
three runs, to fall to 8-6. Samantha
Schmeltzer earned the victory in relief for Green Bay (15-23, 4-13 Horizon), tossing
three shutout frames. Valpo registered
13 hits in the opener as well, as Conner, Ichiyama, Korb, Rutkowski and Wolter
all tallied two hits apiece.
“Sadie really swung the bat
well today, and it was good to see Karen hit well also, turning and driving the
ball,” said Wittgenstein. “You have to
give Green Bay
credit, they came out early on and hitting the holes in our defense and taking
advantage.”
Valparaiso (23-17, 8-6 Horizon) is scheduled to conclude its
three-game series with Green Bay
on Sunday afternoon at noon. Live stats
will be available at
www.valpoathletics.com.