Jake Hadaway pitched six strong innings and got some timely offensive behind him to help lift the Buena Vista baseball team to a series-opening, 4-3, road victory at the University of Dubuque on Friday afternoon.

Hadaway allowed just two runs and three hits on the day while striking out seven and walking three.  He's now a team-best 4-1 overall and handed the Spartans (9-7, 3-1 IIAC) their first league setback of the year.

Gage Smart came on in relief and worked 1.2 innings and was charged with the final run while scattering three hits.  Dalton Mason came on to close the door over the final 1.1 innings, striking out one to earn his second save of the year.

BVU took advantage of a defensive miscue in the second inning by the Spartans to take a quick 1-0 lead.  Kolby Hilgenberg singled home a run in the fifth to make it 2-0 before Devin Wagenman recorded an RBI on a squeeze bunt.

Dubuque cut the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the sixth before BVU got one back in the seventh on Cam Johnson's RBI double and a 4-2 cushion.  The Spartans pulled within a run in the eighth but Mason got out of the jam.

Porter Sartor went 2-for-4 for the Beavers, as seven of the eight position players had at least one hit.

Each team committed three errors in the contest and combined to leave 15 runners on base.

Buena Vista improves to 10-7 on the year (3-1 IIAC). The two teams will now play a doubleheader to wrap up the three-game series on Saturday afternoon beginning at 1:00pm.