STORM LAKE, Iowa (March 31, 2026) - Sophomore Cooper continues his torrid homestand by going 3-for-4 with a pair of triples, an RBI and three runs scored, but it wasn't quite enough as visiting Central College managed to scratch a pair of late insurance runs to help hold off the Beavers, 8-5.

The second of Sobeck's triples drove in one of the team's two runs during a 2-run eighth inning that brought the Beavers within 6-5. Junior Jake Eddie followed with a run-scoring triple of his own to dead center that plated the final run. Central, however, manufactured a 2-out rally in the ninth and pushed across two big insurance runs that pushed the margin back to three at 8-5.

BVU got on the board first with a sacrifice fly from sophomore Jack Schmaltz in the second inning which was his 11th RBI of the  season. The Dutch came right back off Beaver starter Drew Camman in the third with a two-run opposite field home run to right to jump in front 2-1. They then added two more runs in the fourth that extended the cushion to 4-1.

In the sixth inning, the Beavers clawed back within a run at 4-3 as Connor Duong scored on a wild pitch followed by an RBI single from Schmaltz for his second RBI of the game. The Dutch seemed to have an answer for everyone scored by the Beavers on the night as they came back with two more runs in the eighth when Jaden Kramer tripled to right and scored on the play when the throw back into the infield went wild.

Central (10-11, 5-2 A-R-C) went on to hit for the team cycle in the game and tallied 16 hits while BVU pounded out nine. Sobeck led the way with his three hits and extends his current hitting streak to eight games. During that stretch, he's gone 20-for-33 and has bumped his season average all the way up to a team-leading .386.

Sophomore Connor Duong went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored with Eddie finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Camman pitched 3.2 innings and allowed four runs and nine hits. Junior Koleson Evans had another strong outing in relief as he struck out a pair, allowed only one hit and didn't walk a batter in his 2.1 innings. He came on and ended the fourth inning with a strikeout as runners stood at first and third. BVU combined to use four other pitchers over the final three innings.

Max Steinlage got the start on the mound for the Dutch and is now 3-1 on the year after allowing three runs and six hits over six innings.

Buena Vista is now 5-16 on the year (1-6 A-R-C) and travels to Luther College for a three-game weekend road series on April 3-4. First pitch of Friday's series opener is at 3 p.m.