THE LEAD
No. 25 DBU lost to Valparaiso 6-1 on Friday night at Horner Ballpark. Starting pitcher and designated hitter Darick Hall and Sean Stutzman combined for 11 strikeouts and no walks.
 
Dalton Lundeen pitched a complete game for the Crusaders, allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts to earn the win. Hall suffered the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.
 
After loading the bases in the fourth inning, Valparaiso got out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run single by Scott Kapers. DBU spoiled Lundeen's bid for a no-hitter on left fielder Daniel Sweet's blooper into shallow right-center in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Patriots proceeded to load the bases on a catcher Garrett Wolforth base hit and a walk of right fielder Justin Wall. Center fielder Jameson Hannah put DBU on the board with a long fly ball to center field, allowing Sweet to cross the plate.
 
The Crusaders extended their lead to 4-1 in the seventh with a two-RBI double off the bat of Josh Clark. Valparaiso added another insurance run on a Shea Molitor base hit, knocking in Clark and forcing Hall out of the game. With runners at second and third in the eighth inning, the Crusaders went up 6-1 on a sacrifice fly by Nate Palace.
 
COACH DAN HEEFNER – ON LUNDEEN'S PITCHING
"His fastball command was great. We tried to have a good approach against him, but he was mixing well."
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Friday marked the first game that a DBU pitcher did not allow a walk.
 - Darick Hall has struck out 25 batters this season with just two walks.
 - Lundeen's complete game was the first thrown against the Patriots since a 7-2 loss to Oral Roberts in the 2011 Fort Worth Regional. 
 
IN THE NUMBERS
8 – Hall struck out a career-high eight batters on Friday.
13 – Justin Wall reached base safely for the 13^th straight game.
6 – DBU's six errors were the most in a game since a 5-4 loss at TCU on March 4, 2014.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU and Valparaiso will play the final game of the series at Horner Ballpark on Saturday at 2 p.m. Dalton Higgins (1-1) will take the mound for the Patriots against Mario Losi (1-1) of the Crusaders.