CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (May 11, 2024) – The Buena Vista University baseball team came from behind to knock off No. 5 Loras College in the first game Saturday, but the run to a conference tournament championship came up just short as the Beavers fell 6-2 against top-seed Coe College in the championship game.

Coe jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly before BVU answered with a sac fly from Joel Garcia in the second before Drew Taylor scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to grab a 2-1 lead.  The lead was short-lived as the Kohawks scored single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-2 lead, and that’s how things stood until Coe added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth for the final score.

Garcia and Taylor each finished with two hits to lead BVU. Jake Eddie suffered the loss despite allowing just three runs and six hits over the first four innings. Senior Brayden Polzien pitched the final four innings and was charged with the final three runs and four hits.

The Beavers advanced into the championship game after coming from behind to knock off the Duhawks to begin the day. Loras led 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh before BVU was aided by a pair of defensive miscues which led to three unearned runs, including Garcia's go-ahead sac fly to cap the scoring.

Drew Taylor tripled and finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Senior Zack Beekmann also tallied two hits. As a team, BVU overcame the fact it left 14 runners on base.

Mark Eddie picked up the win in relief of starter Mason Gehling. Eddie worked the final 4.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits.

BVU is now 29-14 overall and will now sit and wait to see if it has done enough to make it into the NCAA Regional for the second straight year. The selection show will be on Monday morning at 11 a.m. It will be streamed live on NCAA.com.