ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Mar. 15, 2025) - The Buena Vista baseball team headed east to begin play at the Augustana College Invitational on Saturday and ended the day by splitting a pair of games. The Beavers used a big 10-run third inning to roll past Illinois College, 16-5 (7 inn.) before falling to the host Vikings, 5-1.

The Blueboys (9-5) scored five unearned runs in the second inning, including a big two-out grand slam, to build the early 5-0 advantage. BVU, however, didn't let that deficit last long as it came right back in the top of the third to push across a season-high 10 runs in the frame on only three hits. Senior Evan Taylor highlighted the inning for the Beavers by belting a grand slam of his own to cap the rally. The Beavers scored four times in the inning on bases loaded walks, once on a hit by pitch and once on a passed ball.

Neither team scored in the fourth and fifth innings before BVU scored three times in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Beavers took advantage of five defensive miscues in the game, especially in the sixth with three unearned runs. Senior Joel Garcia connected for a solo home run in the seventh before sophomore Jake Eddie chipped in with a two-run double to make it 16-5.

BVU pounded out 10 base hits in the contest, including five that went for extra bases. The team also took advantage of eight walks issues by Blueboys pitching.

Evan Taylor went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs scored and also walked twice. Garcia was 2-for-4 with a home run, walk, two RBI and three runs scored. Freshman Kaden Struck also turned in two hits and scored three times. Eddie and Jacob Eversole each drove in two runs while Drew Taylor, Connor Zegar and Seth Bush all scored two runs apiece.



Senior Morgan Smith got the start and allowed five earned runs and three hits in six innings while walking three and striking out seven. After a trio of no-decisions to begin the year, the right hander earned his first victory of the season and the 17th of his career that moved him into a tie for fifth on BVU's all-time career list.

Augustana scored all of its runs against BVU in three of the first four innings. The Beavers came out and took the early lead in the first inning with Drew Taylor's RBI triple. The Vikings came back in the home half and picked up an RBI ground out and an RBI single to take a 2-1 lead. They then doubled in a run and singled in a run during the second inning to push the lead up to 4-1 before capping things in the fourth with an RBI triple to right center.

BVU couldn't come up with the big hits down the stretch and stranded seven runners over the final four innings and 10 overall. The biggest threat came in the sixth when the team had runners at first and second and only one out by the Vikings recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.

Freshman Kaden Struck finished 3-for-3 with a walk to help lead BVU at the plate. Garcia turned in another multi-hit game by going 2-for-5 with a run scored. He now has 198 career hits which moves him into sixth-place on the program's all-time career list.

Senior Mark Eddie (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season. The righty pitched 5.1 innings and was charged with all five runs and allowed 10 hits while striking out five and walking only one. Zach Pleggenkuhle came on in relief to work the final 2.2 innings, allowed just one hit, struck out four and walked a pair.

Buena Vista is 8-4 overall and will wrap up the Invitational on Sunday, Mar. 16, against Dominican University with first pitch at 10:30 a.m.