INDIANOLA, Iowa (Mar. 23, 2024) - A day after taking the series opener in a 15-inning marathon, the Buena Vista baseball team completed the sweep of Simpson College on Saturday by taking game one of the doubleheader, 11-8, before closing out with a 14-0 (7 inning) victory in the finale.
The Beavers pounded out 32 hits on the day and took advantage of 11 walks. The Storm claimed its only lead of the series after plating an unearned run in the top of the first inning of game one. The two teams then went scoreless in the second before the Beavers struck for four runs in the third, highlighted by junior Drew Taylor's 2-run triple, to take a 4-1 lead.
BVU held a 6-2 advantage through six innings before the Storm began a comeback in the seventh. They got within 6-5 and still had the bases loaded with just one out before reliever Brayden Polzien threw a runner out at home on a comebacker and then got a fly out to left to end any further damage.
Jordan Mathewson gave the Beavers some much needed breathing room in the home half when he cleared the bases with a 3-run triple to make it a 9-5 lead. Simpson, however, fought back in the eighth by scoring three times and getting as close as 9-8, but BVU came right back in the bottom of the inning to score a pair of big insurance runs for the game's final score.
Mathewson, along with sophomore Tegan Bock, turned in three hits to help lead the charge with Bock also scoring twice. Fifth-year Zack Beekman was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while Garcia, senior Calvin Harris and sophomore Zach Pleggenkuhle chimed in with two hits apiece.
Freshman Ean McDaniel got the start on the hill and improved to 4-0 on the season. He was lifted with one out in the seventh and ended with the day with allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out five and walking only one. Polzien finished off the seventh inning, Logan Lape-Brinkman worked the eighth before Johnny Vallinch worked a scoreless ninth for his first career save.
Buena Vista made quick work of Simpson in the finale after scoring five runs in each of the first two innings en route to a quick 10-0 advantage. Drew Taylor and Brandon Jenkins each registered RBI doubles in the opening frame to aid in the outburst with Pleggenkuhle driving in a pair in the second with a 2-run single.
Jenkins tripled home a run in the fourth inning and finished the game 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored. Drew Taylor also finished with three hits and three runs scored with Garcia and Pleggenkuhle each adding three hits and three RBI. The Beavers out-hit the Storm in the contest, 17-3.
Fifth-year Mason Gehling gave the Beavers another strong start on the mound, pitching six innings, allowing just two hits, striking out five and improving to 4-1 overall. Freshman Koleson Evans, also a member of the BVU men's basketball team, made his collegiate debut on the diamond by working around a leadoff single and pitching a scoreless seventh.
Buena Vista extends its current overall win streak to five games and improves to 14-4 (3-0 A-R-C). It will travel to Coe College for a three-game weekend series on Mar. 29-30. Game one is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m.