The Lowell Red Devils built a five‑run lead early but couldn’t hold it, falling one out short Saturday in a gut‑wrenching 7‑6 loss to Valparaiso.
The battle unfolded on April 25 at Valparaiso High School, where the home crowd witnessed a dramatic comeback and late‑inning heroics.
Lowell struck first when Peyton Lonardi drilled a two‑run homer to left in the opening frame. Preslee Hill added a three‑run shot in the fourth, pushing the Red Devils ahead 5–0. Valparaiso answered immediately with four runs in the bottom half, then surged ahead with two more in the fifth to make it 6–5. Lowell tied the game in the fifth, but the Vikings regained control with a run in the eighth and sealed the win in the ninth. Hill finished with two hits in five at‑bats, while Lowell showed patience at the plate with 10 walks and turned two double plays defensively.
The Lowell Red Devils return to conference play Monday, April 27, with a 4:45 p.m. road test against the Kankakee Valley Kougars.
The matchup comes just 19 days after the teams’ last meeting, when Lowell dropped a heartbreaker at home. On April 8, the Red Devils fell 6–5 to the Kougars in a tightly contested conference game.
Now, Lowell heads to face Kankakee Valley looking to avenge the setback and reclaim momentum in league play.
