The Valpo softball team kicked off the next-to-last weekend of regular season play with a doubleheader against visiting Murray State at the Valpo Softball Complex Saturday, falling to the Racers by final scores of 5-0 and 8-2. Freshman Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) continued her recent hot streak at the plate with a trio of extra-base hits over the two games.

How It Happened – Game One

• Valpo had a great chance to open the scoring in the bottom of the second, as Bush connected on a double around a Murray State error and a hit batter to load the bases with one out. Back-to-back strikeouts left the bases loaded with no runs scoring, however.
• The Racers cracked the scoreboard with a pair of RBI singles in the top of the third.
• Murray State scored another run on a Valpo error in the fourth and capped the scoring with an RBI double and a run-scoring triple in the fifth.

How It Happened – Game Two

• A two-out RBI single put the Racers on the board in their first turn at the plate.
• Adison Hicks delivered a three-run homer in the top of the third to make it 4-0 Murray State.
• A mini two-out rally cut Valpo’s deficit in half in the bottom of the third. Senior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) won a seven-pitch battle, lining a single down the left-field line, to put a runner on for Bush. The freshman delivered, drilling a two-run homer to straightaway center to cut Murray State’s lead to 4-2.
• The Racers pulled away with a three-run fifth inning and added their final run on a solo homer from Lily Fischer in the sixth.

Inside the Games

• Bush went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles in the opener and added her second home run in a one-week span in the nightcap.
• Over the last five games, Bush is 7-for-14 at the plate with a walk, three doubles and two homers.
• Bush was the only Beacon to reach base multiple times in the same game on Saturday, as Valpo tallied just eight hits and one hit batter over the two contests.
• Johnson and senior Kayla Skapyak (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) each picked up one hit in each of Saturday’s two games.
• The Beacons were 0-for-6 over the two games with runners in scoring position, while the Racers were 7-for-21.
• Freshman Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) took the loss in the circle in game one, going 4.2 innings. Fellow rookie Anna Wilming (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) closed the game with 2.1 innings of hitless relief, striking out three.
• Wilming started and was charged with the loss in game two, pitching into the fifth inning.

Next Up

Valpo (8-36, 2-17 MVC) closes out its series with the Racers on Sunday with a single game at noon.