Baseball | 4/22/2025 9:36:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WAVERLY, Iowa (Apr. 22, 2025) - The Buena Vista baseball team turned right around on Tuesday to play an American Rivers Conference doubleheader at Wartburg College, and after suffering a 14-4 (7 inn.) setback in the opener, the Beavers snapped its first two-game losing streak of the year by taking game two, 8-4.

The Knights struck first in the opener with two runs in the first but the Beavers clawed back in the third with a pair of runs of their own to pull even at 2-2. The difference in the game was a six-run fifth inning for Wartburg which led to 10 unanswered runs. BVU managed a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to keep the game going, but the Knights ended things early by getting both runs back in the bottom half.

Evan Taylor was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a run scored while twin brother Drew was also 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch. Brandon Jenkins tripled home a run to put BVU on the board in the second for his only hit of the game as the Beavers were out-hit 12-8 overall.

Jake Eddie got the start on the hill for BVU and was tagged for six runs and six hits over 4.2 innings. Johnny Vallinch allowed four runs over his one inning while Christian Kaanapu and Logan Lape-Brinkman were the final two to see action for the Beavers as they were dealt consecutive losses for the first time this season.

The losing streak was short-lived as the team was able to bounce back in the series finale. It got on the board with a run in the opening frame after Joel Garcia tripled with one out and later scored on an RBI groundout from Drew Taylor. Each team added single runs in the third to make it 2-1 and the Beavers began to extend the margin with three more runs in the fourth. 

Wartburg didn't go away as it came right back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-3, but the Beavers closed the game with single runs in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings, respectively.

Seniors Morgan Smith and Mark Eddie each pitched an inning of relief to close out the game to preserve the win. Dylan Johnson was credited the win in relief for the Beavers after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings, despite allowing the leadoff batter to reach in each inning. He didn't allow a hit and struck out six while walking two and hitting one. His sixth punch out was the staff's 300th strikeout of the year which is only the sixth time the team has reached that total in program history.

Gunner Russell pitched the first 4.0 innings and was charged with three runs (one earned) and four hits. Smith and Eddie combined for four strikeouts over the final two innings. The Knights did string together three straight singles off Eddie in the ninth to score their final run.

Freshman Cooper Sobeck doubled and tripled en route to a career-high three hits and three RBI to lead the way for the Beavers. Garcia also chipped in with three hits to go along with an RBI and one run scored while Struck doubled and scored twice.

Buena Vista is now 25-8 on the year (14-4 A-R-C) and sits one game back of Coe College (25-7, 15-3 A-R-C). The Beavers travel to the University of Dubuque (15-17, 7-11 A-R-C) for a three-game series this weekend before hosting the Kohawks for three games to wrap up the regular season next weekend in Storm Lake.

BVU and Dubuque will play the doubleheader on Friday, Apr. 25, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. The final game of the series is set for 9 a.m. on Saturday, Apr 26.