STORM LAKE, Iowa (April 30, 2023) - The Buena Vista baseball team concluded its regular season on Sunday afternoon by battling through extremely windy conditions to earn a doubleheader split against Simpson to win the 3-game series. BVU fell to the Storm 10-8 in the opener before capping the day with a 16-6 (7 inn.) victory.

Buena Vista led 2-1 in game one after one inning of play before Simpson took advantage of the wind blowing out towards right by hitting a two-run home run in the second and a three-run shot in the third for a 6-2 lead. Caden Mathewson recorded an RBI groundout in the bottom half of the third before Zack Beekmann blasted his team-leading sixth home run of the year later in the inning to make it 6-4.

After the Storm pushed across a run in the fourth, BVU continued to chip away, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth without a single base hit to get within a run at 7-6. The Beavers would later tie the contest at 7-7 in the sixth off a Jordan Mathewson RBI single before Beekmann later drove him in for his third RBI of the game and put BVU in front at 8-7.

The lead was short lived for the Beavers this time around as the Storm scored twice in the seventh for a 9-8 lead before tacking on a big insurance run in the ninth. BVU had the tying run on base in the ninth with two outs but a strikeout would end the threat.

The two teams combined for 26 hits in the game as Beekmann and Logan Mueller each went 3-for-4 at the plate for BVU with both also getting hit by a pitch. In all, BVU was hit five times in the contest but stranded 14 base runners. Jordan Mathewson was 2-for-5 and scored a team-high three runs. 

Dalton Glenn received a no-decision after getting the start for Buena Vista, despite pitching only 2.1 innings and being tagged for six runs and seven hits. Brayden Polzien, who was the second reliever used, was charged with the loss after allowing three runs and five hits over 2.2 innings.

BVU bounced back in a big way in game two and wasted little time getting out in front. Caden Mathewson had a monster game and got the scoring started with an RBI single off a drawn in infield in the first inning. Mueller made it 2-0 in the third when he laced an RBI single to right.

Evan Taylor came lined a double to the gap in right center field that scored two runs before Beekmann drove him home on a double to right. The Storm threatened in the fifth by plating three runs to cut the deficit down to 5-3, but Caden Mathewson highlighted a five-run bottom half of the inning with a grand slam for his fourth hit of the game. Joel Garcia would add an RBI double in the sixth to make it an 11-3 advantage.

The Storm again threatened in the seventh and got as close as 11-6, but the Beavers came right back with five more runs in the home half, capped by a pinch hit walk-off sacrifice fly from Kyle Corcoran. Dominic Roderick and Jordan Mathewson each had 2-run doubles earlier in the inning to highlight the frame.

Caden Mathewson finished the game by going 5-for-5 at the plate with five RBI and two runs scored. Garcia was 4-for-5 for his third four-hit game of the season and is now the fifth BVU player this season to reach 50 hits on the year. Beekmann and Mueller added two hits apiece with Mueller getting hit two more times in the contest, marking 13 times on the year and 37 times in his career. He also moves into the team lead with a .422 average overall.

Mason Gehling, making his final career home start, improved to 5-0 overall this season, after going 5.0 innings, allowing three runs and five hits while striking out six and walking two. Spencer Holmes allowed just one base hit in his inning of work before giving way to fellow senior Landon Howard, who pitched the final inning, allowing three runs on just two hits.

Buena Vista concludes the regular season at 29-7 overall (20-3 A-R-C). The Beavers will now be off until the American Rivers Conference Tournament begins on Thursday, May 11, inside of Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. BVU will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will play at 2 p.m. against the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 match-up.