TOPEKA, Kan. (Feb. 17, 2024) - The Buena Vista baseball team had 21 hits, including 11 for extra-bases, and was aided by a big 18-run seventh inning on Saturday to roll past Hamline University, 26-12, in what was the season opener for both teams.

The Pipers went in front 2-0 after a half-inning after getting a pair of RBI single before the Beavers stormed right back to tie things at 2-2 in the bottom half. Graduate student Jordan Mathewson led off the game for the Beavers with a solo home run before junior Evan Taylor added a sacrifice fly.

Hamline added two more runs in the second to regain the lead before freshman Brandon Jenkins cut that cushion in half with a solo home run in his first collegiate at-bat. BVU later tied the game in the third with an unearned run before the Pipers jumped back in front 5-4 with an unearned run in the fourth.

Mathewson delivered his second home run of the game in the fifth to spark a three-run frame for BVU that gave the Beavers a 7-5 advantage. Hamline, however, had an answer in the sixth with three runs of its own to go back on-top 8-7.

After Evan Taylor flied out to left to begin the bottom of the seventh, Zack Beekmann tied things at 8-8 with a solo home run which ignited a big inning for BVU. The next eight batters would reach base, including Drew Taylor who tripled and drove in two. Evan Taylor flew out to left for the second time in the inning, but this time resulted in a sacrifice fly for a six-run cushion. The Beavers, however, went on to add 11 two-out runs, including RBI doubles from Beekmann and sophomore Tegan Bock and a two-run single from pinch hitter Zack Saale for his second career base hit. The team ended the inning with 18 runs on 14 hits and took advantage of two Pipers errors.

Hamline managed to get four runs back in the top of the eight and BVU added its final run in the home half for the game's final score.

Mathewson finished 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, two walks, three RBI and four runs scored. Junior Joel Garcia was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI, three walks and four runs scored while Beekmann also had his two extra-base hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Zach Pleggenkuhle had a team-high three hits and two runs scored while Evan Taylor finished 1-for-3 with three sacrifice flies. Twelve different players had at least one hit for the Beavers.

Junior Morgan Smith got the start on the hill and pitched five innings and was charged with five runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out four. Freshman Jake Eddie made his collegiate debut in relief of Smith and allowed three runs and four hits over one inning of work. Sophomore Logan Lape-Brinkman came on and pitched the seventh and eighth innings to pick up the win. Drew Camman closed the door in the ninth and worked around a pair of walks and a hit batter.

Buena Vista is now 1-0 on the year while the Pipers are 0-1. The two teams close out the three-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.