WAVERLY, Iowa (April 8, 2023) - The Buena Vista baseball team resumed action on Saturday afternoon and would go on and complete the three-game series sweep of Wartburg College (8-12, 3-8 A-R-C) by taking the doubleheader with scores of 5-4 and 13-3 (8 innings).

GAME 1

Wartburg and Buena Vista traded blows early in the contest. Wartburg struck first, scoring on a fielder's choice in the first inning, but BVU immediately responded by taking the lead on a Grant Oseka double and a Zack Beekmann RBI single. The lead would not last long as Wartburg regained the lead on a two-run homerun to right center the next inning. The score would remain at 3-2 into the latter innings before the Beavers' lineup got to work again. Logan Mueller got the offense going in the eighth with a base hit to center before Tegan Bock took his place on a fielder's choice. Bock made the most of the opportunity, stealing his way into scoring position. It paid off immediately as Drew Taylor brought him home on a game-tying single to center. Jordan Mathewson kept the momentum going with a triple to left center to take the lead. The rally gave the Beavers a 4-3 advantage heading into bottom half of the eighth. Closer Calvin Harris, who sits three saves shy of the program's career mark, entered looking to shut things down but was immediately faced with adversity after allowing a leadoff double to start the inning. Harris responded by striking out a pair but couldn't quite navigate his way out of traffic, allowing a game-tying single to the next batter. He then induced a fly out to end the inning, leaving the game at 4-4 heading into the final frame. Evan Taylor was quick to pick up his teammate, launching a leadoff go ahead pinch hit homerun. The shot was enough for Harris, who capitalized on the second chance with a scoreless ninth to win it for the Beavers. 

Harris (3-0) earned the winning decision for the Beavers. The senior pitcher allowed a run on two hits while striking out three over two innings. Dalton Glenn received the nod to start on the mound and posted a solid performance. Glenn went seven solid innings, allowing three runs while striking out seven. 

The Beaver lineup compiled five runs on eight hits. Evan Taylor led the way with his game-winning homerun in his only at-bat. Caden Mathewson and Grant Oseka each recorded doubles in the contest while Jordan Mathewson tripled.

GAME 2

After a nail-biter end to game one, Buena Vista got back to being an offensive force and left little to worry about in game two. They scored four unanswered to start the game on a Logan Mueller single and extra-base hits from the Mathewson brothers. Wartburg chipped away with a homerun in the fourth and another two runs in the fifth, but that would prove to be as close as they got to a comeback. The Beavers lineup exploded in the seventh for eight runs. Drew Taylor had one of the biggest at-bats in the inning, capping off the rally with a three-run bomb. Bock helped secure a run-rule win in the eighth, scoring a run on a fielder's choice.

Peyton Thomas had a solid start on the mound for the Beavers, allowing just one run over four innings, but it was Mason Gehling (3-0) who earned the winning decision. Gehling pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Brayden Polzien struck out two in a perfect inning to end the game. 

The lineup collected 13 runs on 19 hits. It received contributions across the board with six batters recording multi-hit contests.  It was led by Drew Taylor and Caden Mathewson as Taylor drove in and scored three runs on three hits, including his homerun. Mathewson had a game-high four hits while driving in a run and scoring three times. 

Buena Vista has won four straight games overall and improves to 20-5 (10-1 A-R-C).

NEXT UP: BVU will resume action on Tuesday, April 11 with a 6:00 p.m. matchup against Nebraska Wesleyan.