Tucker Shull connects with a pitch during a game at Warsaw earlier this year. Shull’s walk-off gave the Vikings their first TRC win against Peru Wednesday. (File photo by James Costello)

Baseball
Tucker Shull came through with the walk-off, and Tippecanoe Valley baseball picked up its first Three Rivers Conference win with a 7-6 thriller over Peru at home in Akron Wednesday.

Shull’s two-out double scored Wes Melanson for the game-winner, completing a two-run frame that put the Vikings over the top. Shull and Melanson recorded two RBIs apiece, and Melanson homered to finish 3 for 4 at the dish to lead his team at the plate as Valley collected 11 hits in the win. Ethan Yates also homered for Valley, and Layne Prater and Adam Myers finished with two hits each in a productive night by the Vikings, who knotted it up at 3-all in the fifth, then scored two more to take a 5-3 lead before the Tigers tied it back up with a two-run sixth, then tacked on another run for the 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Ethan Yates got the win relieving Myers in the fifth, giving up two hits for two runs, one earned. Myers lasted 4 2/3 innings, surrendering six hits and five walks versus five strikeouts for three earned runs.

Valley improves to 4-14 overall and 1-6 in the TRC. The Vikings play at the Culver Military Academy Tournament on Saturday.

Softball

Bethany Caldwell struck out 15 while holding Valley to eight hits for one run, and the Lady Vikings fell 8-1 to visiting Peru Wednesday night.

Sydney Howard’s solo shot in the bottom of the first put Valley on top, but the home team never plated another run in the loss. Howard finished with two of the Vikings’ hits, while Ally Betten, Kayla Scott and Kirstyn Yoder all tallied two hits apiece also.

Betten took the pitching loss giving up 10 hits and two walks for six runs, three earned, in 3 2/3 innings. Mayde Fear gave up three hits for two runs, only one earned relieving her in the fourth.

Gracee Ansari, Iriyale Malone and Caitlin Mongosa all collected two hits each for Peru, which improved to 8-7 and 4-3 in the Three Rivers Conference.

Valley slides to 4-11 and 3-4 in TRC play and will host Marion tonight.