AUBURNDALE, Fla. (Mar. 7, 2024) - Freshman Ean McDaniel made his first career start on the mound and struck out a career-high nine batters over a career-best six innings of work while senior Drew Taylor and fifth-year Zack Beekmann each blasted home runs to help lead the Buena Vista baseball team to a 14-6 victory on Thursday afternoon over St. John Fisher University.

McDaniel scattered five hits over six-plus innings of work and was lifted after the first two batters reached to begin the seventh. Both runners eventually came around to score during St. John Fisher's three-run inning that brought them back within 5-4. That proved to be as close as they'd get as Taylor hit a 2-run home run and freshman Jake Eddie added a 2-run single during a seven-run bottom of the seventh for the Beavers as they broke the game open at 12-5.

Beekmann put BVU on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run blast - his 18th career home run. St. John Fisher (2-5) made it 3-1 in the third before the Beavers added single runs in their half of the third and fourth innings to extend the margin to 5-1.

The top three hitters in the Beaver line-up (Jordan Mathewson, Drew Taylor and Evan Taylor) combined to go 6-for-11 with four RBI and six runs scored. Freshman Jake Eddie also added two hits while junior Joel Garcia matched Evan Taylor with three runs scored. As a team, BVU tallied 11 hits overall with four going for extra-bases.

McDaniel was charged with allowing only three runs on the mound before turning things over to Logan Lape-Brinkman and Johnny Vallinch, who combined to pitch the final three innings, allowing a combined three runs (one earned) and two hits.

Buena Vista improves to 7-3 on the year and returns to action Friday morning for a 9 a.m. (EST) first pitch against Fontbonne University.