The Buena Vista baseball team continued its torrid stretch at the plate on Saturday as it scored a combined 28 runs while finishing off the four-game weekend series sweep of the University of Dubuque while taking over sole possession of first place in the Iowa Conference standings.

BVU got a two-run home run in the first inning of game one from Brandon Wessels and never trailed all day long.  The Spartans got on the board in the third to make it a 3-1 game, but that was as close as they got all day.

Jeremy Lambert and Nick Schlecht each posted two-run doubles in the bottom half of the inning to open up a 7-1 cushion.  Dubuque then got a two-out, two-run home run to center, on a day where the wind was in favor of the right handed hitters.

The Spartans then got their final run of the game in the sixth before BVU responded right back with four more of its own to make it an 11-4 lead.  Ian Grigsby, who came on to get the final out of the sixth went back out for the seventh and struck out the final two hitters to end the game en route to his sixth save of the year.

Lambert finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles, four RBI and two runs scored.  Joe Paletta also went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored.  Neil Marshall, Ryan Titman and Schelcht also added doubles for BVU, which out-hit Dubuque, 15-5.

Cam Beatty picked up the win in relief, as he came on to start the fourth inning.  He worked one inning, allowed two runs on two hits, while striking out one and walking one.  Jake Hadaway worked 1.2 innings, allowing a solo home run, to go along with three walks and three strikeouts.

After neither team scored in the first inning of game two, the Beavers then blew the game open in the second with seven runs in the second and nine more in the third to build a 16-0 lead.  Paletta had a big three-run home run in the second while Weston Foxx blasted a grand slam in the nine-run second.

Dubuque tried to stay within striking distance, getting four runs in the fourth and fifth innings, to make it 16-8 midway through.  BVU plated its final run in the home half of the fifth before Dubuque added the game's final two runs in the ninth.

Paletta went 2-for-3 with the three RBI and two runs scored with Foxx going 2-for-2 with his four RBI and two runs scored.  Eric Gurbacki got the start at third base and turned in a team-leading three hits, including a pair of doubles.  Ryan Duncan doubled for one of his two hits, as he drove in two while scoring three times.

Tyson Valentine got the start and worked four innings, allowing four runs on six hits, while striking out four.  Jake Bjorkgren improved to 4-1 by earning the win in relief.  He went the final five frames and was charged with only two earned runs on five hits, walked two and struck out five.

BVU (27-5, 16-4 IIAC) matches its win streak set earlier this year prior to begining IIAC play in Tucson, Ariz., against Luther.  With Wartburg and Loras splitting their doubleheader later in the day, the Beavers have a one-game lead over the Knights and are two games clear of the Duhawks.  Wartburg and Loras will wrap up that series on Monday afternoon before BVU heads to Waverly four a four-game series next Friday and Saturday.