The Beloit College baseball team split a pair of schedule seven-inning contests at Wisconsin Lutheran using a seven-run seventh in the opener to win 10-9 and forcing extras but falling 11-10 in the nightcap.
The Buccaneers struck first to open the series capitalizing on a Warrior miscue to take an early 1-0 lead. WLC claimed the lead in the bottom of the first with two runs before adding three in the third to make it 5-1.
After two scoreless, the Bucs posted a two-out rally plating two runs on three hits before the Warriors got out of a bases load jam. WLC responded with three of their own in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-3 heading into the final inning of regulation.
The Bucs' big seventh inning was aided by four Warrior errors and bolstered by Jalen Davis' two-run double to left center as Beloit plated seven runs in the inning to take a 10-8 lead.
David Harrison took the mound for the final inning of relief and retired the first two Warrior hitters via groundouts. Two walks and a Buc miscue made it a one-run contest 10-9. Harrison got the final out with a fielder's choice to register the save.
Nick Schmidt and Davis each went 2-for-4 at the plate combining for five RBI and two runs scored.
Connor McCloskey pitched the first three innings en route to a no decision. Mike Weeden tallied the win in relief allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out two in three innings of work.
The squads needed an extra inning to conclude the nightcap. Once again the Bucs' big inning came in the seventh. Facing a three-run, Beloit plated four runs on three hit to extend the game, and once again it all happened with two outs. Ethan Conley drew the two-out walk to spark the rally. James Wicker doubled to left field to score Conley and Bronson Balholm made it back-to-back hits with a single up the middle. Mitch Campbell took one for the team to load the bases and was replaced by Matt Crandall on the basepaths. A pitching change worked in Beloit's favor as a wild pitch plated one run followed by a walk that loaded the bases again. Austin De La Cruz singled up the middle bringing in two more to give the Bucs a 10-9 advantage heading into the final half inning of regulation.
The Bucs retired the first batter of the bottom of the seventh. A walk was followed by strikeout. Down to their final out of the game, the Warriors used a struck batter and a Buccaneer miscue to plate the tying run.
Beloit threatened in the top of the eighth. Davis tagged a one-out triple to center field but the Bucs were unable to push the run across. In the bottom of the inning, a lead of single, struck batter, sacrifice bunt and pinch hit single brought in the winning run for the final.
Davis' triple in the nightcap brings his career total to seven tying the program record for career triples. He went 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored. Wicker, Balholm and De La Cruz also tallied two hits apiece in the game.
Five Buccaneer pitchers took the mound in game two but Harrison suffered the loss in the final inning of work.
The Bucs will host Illinois College for their home opener Saturday. The twinbill is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
