WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (Mar. 5, 2025) - The Buena Vista baseball team rallied to tie the game at 4-4 after a nearly 90-minute weather delay, but the Beavers would come up short in 12 innings against Grove City College on Wednesday afternoon, 6-4.

The Beavers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first on a Connor Zegar infield single that scored Evan Taylor. Grove City would take advantage of a BVU defensive miscue with one out in the third that eventually led to three runs. The Wolverines then scratched across a single run in the fifth to make it 4-1.

Both teams were forced to clear the field during the top of the seventh inning due to weather which led to nearly a 90-minute delay before play resumed. Once play resumed with runners at first and second, Levi Kennedy took over on the mound for BVU and got a big double play to keep the score at 4-1.

The Beavers took advantage of a defensive miscue by the Wolverines in the bottom half that resulted in both Kaden Struck and Drew Taylor scoring to pull BVU within 4-3. Then in the eighth, the Beavers loaded the bases with only one out but a fly ball to center by Evan Taylor was not deep enough to score a run, but Drew Taylor was hit by a pitch to bring in Jake Eddie as the tying run. Eddie had led off the inning and started the rally with a single to left field. The Wolverines then changed pitchers and got a strikeout to end any further threat.

Grove City had runners at first and second with no outs to begin the eighth but Christian Kaanapu would come on in relief of Kennedy and get a strikeout for a big first out, proceeded to throw out a runner attempting to steal third and ended the inning with his second strikeout. Eddie singled with the bases empty and two outs for BVU in the home half of the inning but was stranded there as the game headed for extras.

The Wolverines loaded the bases in the 11th with two outs but Eddie, who came on in relief to begin the inning, got a big ground out to Drew Taylor at third to end the threat. BVU came back in the bottom half with a chance to walk it off with runners at second and third and two outs but Grove City got a strikeout to end the inning. The Wolverines broke through in the 12th by loading the bases with no outs and got a sacrifice fly and a fielder's choice to go in front 6-4.

BVU had one last chance in its half but the Beavers were retired in order to snap its four-game win streak.

Eddie helped lead the way at the dish by going 3-for-6 for BVU while Evan Taylor and Zegar both had two hits. Overall, BVU chalked up 10 hits in the game but Evan Taylor's double with one out in the fifth was the team's only extra-base hit. Evan Taylor, Struck and Jacob Eversole each stole one base in the game as the Beavers are now 13-for-15 in stolen base attempts this season.

Eddie, who was making his season debut on the hill, suffered the loss for the Beavers. He allowed the two runs and four hits while walking two over his two innings of work. Freshman Gunnar Russell made his first collegiate start for BVU, pitching the first four innings, allowing four hits, three runs (one earned) and struck out a pair. Dylan Johnson, along with Kennedy and Kaanapu combined to allow only one run and two hits over six innings of relief while striking out five. BVU pitching, however, was hindered a bit by issuing a season-high nine walks in the game.

Buena Vista is now 5-2 overall and looks to begin a new win streak on Thursday, Mar. 6, when it plays North Park University at 5 p.m. (ET).