The Buena Vista baseball team got solid starting pitching coupled with some timely hitting which helped lead it to a doubleheader sweep of Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon by scores of 5-2 and 9-6.

BVU took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning of game one before the Prairie Wolves got a late run to tie things at 2-2.  Freshman Bryce Wessels, who had entered the game as pinch runner earlier in the game, came up with the decisive hit in the ninth when he scorched a two-out, three-run double to give the Beavers the three-run edge.  Junior Ian Grigsby worked around a lead-off single in the bottom half to finish of the win in relief.

Senior Jon Ringblom was solid yet again in a starting role for the BVU, working seven innings, allowing only four hits and striking out a career-high 11.  Grigsby worked the final two frames, surrendering the one run on one hit, while striking out a pair.

Tanner Truesdell turned in three hits in five at-bats at the plate for BVU, including a double and triple, while scoring twice and driving in one.  Foxx also drove in a run and stole one of the team's two bases.

BVU broke a scoreless game in the fifth when Truesdell reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to drive in Ryan Titman, who had singled with one out.

NWU tied things up on a squeeze bunt in the sixth and left the go-ahead run at second.  The Beavers went back in front in the eighth.  After Truesdell started the frame with a triple, he later scored when Foxx reached on an error by the Prairie Wolves. 

After a pair of errors by BVU to start the bottom of the eighth, NWU was able to plate the tying run on a sacrifice fly.  Then with runners at first and third, Grigsby was able to record a big strikeout and then get a ground out to second to end the inning.

BVU got a two-out rally going in the ninth.  Brandon Wessels got it going with a single to left, followed by a Truesdell base knock to right.  Then, after Joe Paletta was hit by a pitch to loaded the bags, Bryce Wessles came through with a gapper to left center to plate all three.

That momentum carried over to the start of game two as the Beavers were able to plate five early runs for a 5-0 cushion heading to the bottom of the third.  Foxx came through with a big three-run double in the first to help spark the start.

NWU, however, came right back in its half of the third with six runs on six hits to take its first lead of the day at 6-5.

That lead, however, was short-lived, as the Beavers came right back in the fourth with three runs before adding another in the fifth.

With the bases empty and two outs in the fourth, Neil Marshall singled to third and then stole second.  Brandon Wessels drove him in with an RBI single to left and then advanced to second on the throw.  After Truesdell walked, Joe Paletta singled to right to give BVU the lead before Foxx added another RBI single two batters later for an 8-6 advantage.

The Prairie Wolves went down in order in their half of the inning before BVU came right back with an insurance run in the fifth as Devon Harms picked up his first career RBI with a double down the left field line.

Lucas Hadaway came on in relief with one out in the seventh and got a big strikeout and a ground out with the tying run at the plate, to secure the win for BVU.

The Beavers finished with a season-high 15 hits, including four doubles.  Foxx was one of those to double and he finished with three hits and four RBI, while Paletta also added three hits, including a double, while also scoring once and driving in a run.  Marshall and Brandon Wessels were right behind with two hits and two runs scored each.  Marshall also stole three bases.

Junior Jake Bjorkgren picked up the win on the mound, going 6.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits, while striking out four and walking none.  Hadaway then came on to pick up his first save of the year after pitching the final two-thirds of an inning.

Buena Vista improves to 5-1 overall and will look to complete the series sweep on Sunday afternoon with a nine-inning game starting at 1:00pm.