CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Mar. 29, 2024) - For the second time this season the Buena Vista baseball team pounded out 20 hits in a game, including seven for extra-bases, as the Beavers powered their way to an 11-6 road victory to begin the three-game weekend series at Coe College on Friday afternoon.
Junior third baseman Drew Taylor chalked up his first career five-hit game and also set a new career-high with three doubles to help lead the way while also scoring three times. Junior catcher Evan Taylor had a monster day of his own at the plate with three hits. He gave BVU its first lead of the game in the fifth inning with a 2-run double and then later extended the Beaver lead to 8-3 in the sixth with a 2-run home run. His four RBI matched a career-high set in the season opener last season.
Fifth-year senior designated hitter Grant Oseka hit his fourth home run of the year with a 2-run shot to right field in the fifth that made it 6-2. Junior shortstop Joel Garcia chipped in with three hits, two RBI and three runs scored while fifth-year first baseman Zack Beekmann tallied the team's seventh extra-base knocked with an RBI double in the eighth that made it 10-5.
The Kohawks got the home run derby started right away in the bottom of the first with a 2-run home run that gave them the early 2-0 lead. BVU cut that lead in half in the fourth with an RBI single to left off the bat of freshman left fielder Brandon Jenkins. Taylor's 2-run double in the fifth gave the team the lead for good as it scored runs in four of the final six frames, highlighted by the five-run fifth.
Coe didn't go away quietly down the stretch as it scored single runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings and finished the game with three home runs and five doubles.
Junior right hander Morgan Smith battled through eight innings for the Beavers on the mound and limited the damage by the Kohawks. He allowed five runs (all earned) and 10 hits despite striking out six batters and walking none to improve his record to 1-1 on the year. Johnny Vallinch came on in relief to pitch the ninth, as the Beavers are now the only unbeaten team remaining in league play this season at 4-0.
Jack Allison was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, and two RBI to help lead the Kohawks (10-9, 4-1 A-R-C).
Buena Vista, which played its first game since cracking the top-25 in the d3baseball.com poll earlier this week, has won six straight games overall and improves to 15-4 (4-0 A-R-C). The two teams wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.