WAVERLY, Iowa (Apr. 2, 2024) - The Buena Vista baseball team continued conference play on Tuesday with a single nine-inning game at Wartburg College on Tuesday night, but it was the Knights who rallied and then held off the Beavers 8-5.

Each team scored runs in the first inning before Wartburg added two more in the third for a 2-1 lead. The advantage was short-lived as BVU came right back in the top of the fourth with three runs, including a 2-run single from graduate student Jordan Mathewson, who finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk and one run scored. The graduate student is now six hits shy of becoming the program's all-time leader.

The Knights (12-7, 3-4) got the lead right back in their half of the fourth by plating two runs and then extended their cushion to 8-4 with three more in the sixth. BVU got one run back in the seventh and threatened in the ninth but stranded two runners on base to end the game.

Each team had seven hits in the contest, but the Beavers were plagued by three errors that led to three unearned runs as the team dropped consecutive games for only the second time all season.

In addition to Mathewson's two-hit night, junior Drew Taylor was 2-for-5.

Brayden Polzien got the start and pitched three innings, allowing three runs and struck out five. Johnny Vallinch came on in relief and would suffer the loss as he was tagged with five runs (three earned) over two innings. Senior Calvin Harris pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit, struck out five and walked four.

Buena Vista is now 16-6 overall (5-2 A-R-C) and looks to get back on track when it travels to Central College this weekend for a three-game series. Game one of the series is set for Friday at 3 p.m.