STORM LAKE, Iowa (May 2, 2025) - It came down to a winner-take-all game three and senior Evan Taylor blasted a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning that lifted the Buena Vista baseball team to a dramatic three-game sweep over visiting Coe College and secure the outright American Rivers Conference regular season title.

The Beavers scored single runs in each of the first three innings and led 3-0 before the Kohawks rallied in the fourth with three runs of their own to pull even at 3-3. Coe later went on to take its first lead of the series in the fifth and added another in the sixth to lead 5-3.

Frehman Cooper Sobeck began the scoring for BVU in the six-run seventh inning by driving in fellow freshman Kaden Struck with a single up the middle. Sophomore Jake Eddie followed with a single through the right side that tied the game, and after a walk by senior Bock loaded the bases, the Kohawks made a pitching change. Taylor then stepped into the left handed batters box and launched a 1-1 pitch well over the fence in right that put the Beavers on top, 9-5.

Senior Zach Pleggenkuhle, who came on to get the final out of the fifth inning, stayed in the game and pitched 1-2-3 innings in both the eighth and ninth innings, including a weak ground out to Struck at first who touched first to end the game and sent the dugout charging into a frenzy out in the middle of the infield.

Pleggenkuhle earned the win with 4.1 innings of relief. He was charged with only an unearned run and three hits while striking out four. Gunnar Russell made the start and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing three runs and three hits before handing the ball over to Dylan Johnson who went 1.1 innings before he was relieved by Pleggenkuhle.

Evan Taylor finished the game 1-for-2 with the four RBI and was hit by three pitches. Eddie was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and scored one run. Sophomore Brandon Jenkins also doubled and finished with two hits and one RBI with both Struck and Drew Taylor also chipping in with two hits.

The dramatic game three was set up by the Beavers claiming a 4-1 victory in game one of the doubleheader. Senior Mark Eddie pitched a complete-game masterpiece en route to his eighth win of the year. He worked around nine hits and allowed just the one run, struck out two and walked none.

It was a pitcher's duel for most of the game as Eddie went toe-to-toe with Coe starter Ethan O'Donnell who had come in unbeaten on the year.

Struck put BVU in front in the first inning with an RBI single to left field before the Kohawks tied things in the third with an RBI double.

In the sixth inning, Struck scored from third on a wild pitch which proved to be the eventual game-winning run. The Beavers added insurance runs with a sacrifice fly from Joel Garcia in the seventh before Eddie doubled in a run to the gap in left center field in the eighth. The sac fly from Garcia set a new program record for a career with his 19th.

Drew Taylor finished 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and now has 220 career base knocks. Eddie also went 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored while Struck was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Evan Taylor chipped in with one hit and has 236 in his career which moves him within four of Jordan Mathewson's school record set just last season.

The regular season title is the 19th all-time for BVU and its third in the last four years. The team improves to 29-10 on the year and finishes conference play at 18-6.

Buena Vista will be the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament which begins on Thursday, May 8 and runs through Saturday, May 10 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.