The Buena Vista baseball team got some timely hitting in both games on Monday night against Central, including a two-run single in the nightcap to finish the comeback, as the Beavers completed the series sweep against the Dutch by scores of 7-6 and 6-5.

The Dutch got a run in the top of the first inning of game one to take a 1-0 lead, but BVU wasted little time in responding, getting two runs of its own in the bottom half.  Brandon Wessels tripled with one out and then scored on a balk.  Joe Paletta then followed with a sinlge and would move to third when Weston Foxx singled to left center.

Jeremy Lambert then picked up an RBI as he reached on a fielding error to give BVU the 2-1 advantage.

Following back-to-back one out singles in the top of the second, Tyson Valentine then got a big 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and let his offense get back to work. 

Foxx drove the first run of the inning home on a single before Lambert came through yet again with a two-run single to make it a 5-1 lead.

The Dutch didn't go away, however, getting single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to cut the deficit to 5-3.

BVU, however, came back with what proved to be two big insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-3 lead.  Ryan Titman single home a run with two outs in the inning before Neil Marshall added a sacrifice fly for the final run.

Central then plated three runs in the sixth to cut the gap to 7-6, but Ian Grigsby came up big in the end, working around a one-out walk in the seventh to get a foul out to first base on a hit and run and then covered first base for the double play.

Brandon Wessels and Paletta each went 2-for-3 in the contest with both scoring two runs.  Foxx also added two hits and drove in the one while Bryce Wessels also chipped in with two hits and a run scored. Lambert tallied a team-best three RBI.

Valentine worked the first 4.0 innings and picked up the no-decision, allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits, while striking out one.  Cam Beatty notched the win in relief and improves to 2-0.  He pitched 1.1 innings and was charged with three runs on one hit, while walking two.  Grigsby then finished off the final 1.2 innings to record his fourth save of the year.

The Dutch then used a big second inning of game two to go in front 4-0.  Another run in the third made it 5-0 before the Beavers began to comeback in the bottom half.

Titman reached on a bunt single towards third to start the inning and moved to second when Devon Harms scorched a single to left.  Neil Marshall then loaded the bases when he walked.

After Brandon Wessels popped one up foul for the first out, Paletta drew a bases loaded walk to get BVU on the board.  After a throwing error by the second baseman allowed Truesdell to reach, both Harms and Marshall scored on the play as the ball went into the dugout.  Paletta wound up on third.

Foxx plated the third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to get BVU within 5-4.

Kendall Hazel relieved starter Jake Hadaway in the top of third and held the Dutch scoreless in his 4.1 innings of relief.  Lucas Hadway then relieved Hazel to start the eighth, and after a lead-off walk, got a big double play line-out to Paletta at first.  After a two-out walk, he then got a big strikeout to end the frame.

With two outs and the bases empty in the bottom half, junior Eric Gurbacki then lifted a single out into right center field to begin the rally.  Titman was then hit by a pitch before Alex Brown came on to pinch hit and also drew a free pass to load the bases.

Marshall then came up with the big hit when he hit a hard ground ball through the right side, to score both Gurbacki and Titman and give BVU its first lead of the game at 6-5.

Grigsby then came back to finish things off in the ninth and worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the day and fifth overall.

Hadaway earns the win in relief and is now 4-0 on the year.  Hazel scattered just four hits in his 4.1 innings and struck out two.

Titman and Marshall each finished with two hits in the contest, as BVU tallied eight overall.  Titman also scored twice with Marshall also stealing the team's only base.

The Beavers complete the four-game series sweep of the Dutch and run their current win streak to five.  They are now 18-4 overall and move into a three-way tie atop the IIAC standings with Loras and Wartburg at 7-3.

Next up for the team is a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Coe College beginning at 1:00pm.  The two teams split a doubleheader in Storm Lake last Tuesday.