VALPARAISO, Ind. – Indiana State softball shutout Valpo, 11-0, blanking the Beacons for the second time over the weekend to complete a series sweep and close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Sycamores (29-24, 17-10) won their 29^th game of the season, the most since the 1989 season behind a strong effort from the offense and defense. Valpo (8-40, 4-23) managed just two hits in Sunday's series finale.
 
The Action
After a pair of walks from Olivia Patton and Danielle Henning to begin the first inning, Annie Tokarek would open up the scoring with a sacrifice fly RBI to score Patton. Patton's run made it 1-0.  The Beacons put their first two hitters on base in the bottom of the first but Abi Chipps and Kennedy Shade turned a double play to erase the runners. ISU starter Lexi Benko got a foul out for the final out of the frame.
 
The Sycamore offense kept their scoring effort going in the second as TeAnn Bringle singled to right and Kaylee Barrett doubled to left with one out in the second. Abi Chipps hit home Bringle with a RBI groundout to shortstop to make it 2-0 Indiana State.  Benko would pick up her first strikeout along the way to a scoreless bottom of the second.
 
With one out in the top of the third, Annie Tokarek put two more runs on the board, blasting a 2-run shot to left center to score Isabella Henning and put the Trees up 4-0. It was Tokarek's fifth home run of the season. Getting two strikeouts in the bottom half of the frame, Lexi Benko recorded a 1-2-3 inning.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth, with Lauren Sackett throwing the fourth inning for ISU, striking out a Valpo hitter in a 1-2-3 frame.
 
Isabella Henning extended the Sycamore lead in the top of the fifth, launching a solo shot to right center to make it 5-0. The home run was Henning's ninth of the season, setting a new single season career-high. With two outs in the frame, Kennedy Shade and Maeve McDonough recorded back-to-back singles followed by a TeAnn Bringle hit by pitch to load the bases. Kaylee Barrett then doubled to center field, scoring Kennedy Shade and pinch-runner Hannah Welch to make it a 7-0 game. Sackett stranded a pair of runners in the bottom half.
 
In a scoreless sixth inning, Sackett picked up two more strikeouts to send the game to the seventh and final frame.
 
To lead off the top of the seventh, Isabella Henning homered again, a solo shot to center for her team-high tenth long fly of the season. Up 8-0, Kennedy Shade and Annie Tokarek followed Henning with singles. Hannah Welch was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Luci Kapelka came on to pinch-hit and singled to center field, scoring Kennedy Shade and Morgan Goodrich to put ISU up 10-0. Taylor Dugger put the the final run on the board, scoring Hannah Welch with a RBI groundout to make it an 11-0 game.
 
Cassi Newbanks came on for the seventh inning and worked a 1-2-3 inning, getting a pair of groundouts to close out the victory for the Sycamores. Lexi Benko started and allowed one hit in three innings, striking out three. Lauren Sackett, who got the win to improve to 8-8 on the year, also allowed just one hit in three innings and struck out three.
 
The Sycamores finished with 11 hits, getting a multi-hit output from four different players. Isabella Henning, Annie Tokarek, Kennedy Shade and Kaylee Barrett each had two hits while Luci Kapelka, TeAnn Bringle and Maeve McDonough had one apiece.
 
Indiana State clinched the No. 5 seed in next week's MVC Tournament in Carbondale at SIU's Charlotte West Stadium. The Sycamores will begin tournament action on Wednesday, May 10 at 2 p.m. ET against Valparaiso. This will be the third-straight season ISU and Valpo have faced off in the opening round of the tournament.
 
For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. YoInu can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.