Written by Josh Garcia
BVU Athletics Communication Student Contributor
STORM LAKE, Iowa (April 28, 2023) - The Buena Vista University baseball team opened up their final home series of the season with a Friday night matchup against Simpson College. The Beavers were victorious with a 7-1 win, earning the American Rivers Conference regular season title. It marks their second straight conference title, a feat last accomplished when the Beavers went back-to-back in the '80 and '81 seasons.
Fresh off a dominant complete-game outing against Luther and an A-R-C Male Athlete of the week nomination, Morgan Smith received the start on the mound for the Beavers. The sophomore pitcher was in fine form again, allowing a run in the second before throwing six scoreless innings the rest of his start. Smith only got stronger as the game went on, recording six of his eight strikeouts in his final three innings on the mound. Calvin Harris relieved Smith for the final inning. Harris allowed no runs on one hit while striking out a pair, including a game sealing strikeout that emptied the dugout for a Beavers celebration.
Smith finished with a final line of eight innings pitched, allowing just one run on eight hits. The effort earned Smith (8-1) his eighth win of the season.
The Beavers lineup compiled seven runs on 10 hits. They did most most of their damage in the fifth and sixth innings as they broke open a 1-1 deadlock with rallies of two and four runs respectively. The big blows came in the six when Evan Taylor drilled a 3-run triple followed by an RBI single from Harris that made it a six-run game.
The top of the order accounted for all of the runs driven in with Joel Garcia and Drew Taylor each driving in a run, Evan Taylor driving in three, and Harris driving in a pair. Tegan Bock caused some havoc at the end of the order, scoring twice on two hits while swiping a pair of bases. Evan and Drew each tripled in the contest as Garcia recorded a double.
Next Up: The Beavers will now wrap up their series against Simpson on Sunday, April 30. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.