DUBUQUE, Iowa (Apr. 26, 2025) - The Buena Vista baseball team was handed its first conference series loss of the year on Saturday morning as it fell on the road at the University of Dubuque, 4-2.

Each team scored an unearned run in the first inning and then the Spartans took the lead in the third with an RBI single. Senior Evan Taylor singled up the middle to drive in a run and tie the game in the fifth, and with his two hits on the day, moves within nine of the program's all-time hits record (240) set last season by Jordan Mathewson.

The game remained tied until the eighth inning when the Spartans belted a go-ahead two-run home run to left field for the game's final score, and then retired BVU in order in the ninth.

Taylor finished 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI to lead the Beavers at the plate. It's now his 62nd career double which extends his program's all-time record. His brother, Drew, also went 2-for-3 with a walk. Senior Tegan Bock tripled for the team's only other base hit and was one of five players to tally one hit as each team finished with nine.

Logan Lape-Brinkman suffered the loss in relief for the Beavers as he allowed the two go-ahead runs on two hits in 0.1 innings. Jake Eddie came on to get the final two outs of the eighth by getting both batters he faced to fly out. Gunnar Russell made the start and pitched the first 3.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits while striking out three. Dylan Johnson and Levi Kennedy each pitched two scoreless innings of relief and combined for five strikeouts and only two hits.

Buena Vista drops to 26-10 overall (15-6 A-R-C). The Beavers will conclude the regular season by hosting a three-game series against Coe College (26-7, 16-3 A-R-C) to decide the conference's regular season champion. Coe, which currently has a 3-game lead in the loss column over BVU, plays its final two games of its weekend series with Loras later this afternoon.

The series between the Beavers and Kohawks begins on Thursday, May 1, at 6 p.m. The DH is scheduled for Friday, May 2, starting at 1 p.m.