STORM LAKE, Iowa (April 15, 2022) - The Buena Vista baseball team was back on its home turf on Friday afternoon to begin a three-game weekend series with Wartburg College, but it was the Knights getting a three-run home run in the eighth inning to help them take game one of the series, 5-1.

It was a scoreless game until the fifth inning when both teams got on the board.  Wartburg did so first with a big two-out double to take a 2-0 lead.  BVU got one run back in the home half but left the bases loaded.  That's how things would stay until the eighth inning when Keaton Gray connected for a three-run home run to left field with two outs that made it 5-1.

Each team finished with nine hits in the contest with Jordan Mathewson going 2-for-5 with a double and one RBI for the Beavers.  Both Evan and Drew Taylor tallied two hits apiece with Logan Mueller also adding two.

Morgan Smith had another stellar outing on the hill for BVU, going seven innings, allowing two runs and six hits while striking out six and walking only two.

The win pushes Wartburg to 19-11 overall (9-4 A-R-C) while Buena Vista dips to 16-9 overall (8-3 A-R-C).  The same two teams will be back in action for a doubleheader on Saturday to close out the series.  First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m.