Matt O'Leary had a monster day at the plate as the Buccaneer baseball team took two from St. Norbert on their home turf. Beloit cruised to a 16-5, seven-inning, win in the opener and followed with a 5-4 nailbiter in the nightcap.
O'Leary tied the program record for homeruns in a game with three. His solo shot in the second put the Bucs on the board. He added a three-run bomb in the fifth that extended the gap to 7-2 and capped the game with another three-run dinger that brought the score to the final, 16-5. His three four-baggers ties Jon Moran's performance against Carroll in 2007.
The Bucs blasted 16 hits led by O'Leary's 3-4 game at the dish. He added three runs scored and seven runs batted in, a mark that also ties Moran for the program record.
Kaiya Nishino picked up the win in relief for the Bucs. In 2.2 innings of work on the mound, he allowed just two hits while striking out two and walking two.
The nightcap was a much different affair but the Bucs still took an early lead.
Nick Schmidt led off the game with a walk. After advancing to second on a groundout, Schmidt came in to score on a
Garrison Ferone RBI single.
The 1-0 advantage held until the top of the fifth when Beloit doubled up.
Deven Irwin and
Greg Nelson notched back-to-back base hits before moving up 90 feet on a sacrifice. Irwin made it home on a groundout. St. Norbert responded in the bottom half of the frame on a two-run homer to knot the game 2-2.
A Green Knight double in the bottom of the sixth plated two more and gave SNC a 4-2 lead.
The Bucs reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth using four hits and a Green Knight error to plate three runs. Schmidt,
Bronson Balholm and
James Wicker all singled to start the inning. Ferone followed with a walk that brought in the first run and chased the St. Norbert hurler. O'Leary reached on a fielder's choice and a SNC miscue had all Bucs safe and two crossing the plate for a 5-4 Beloit lead.
St. Norbert threatened with two runners on both the bottom of the eighth and the ninth but the Beloit defense held to secure the win.
Wicker led the Buc offense with three of the team's 10 hits adding a run scored.
Drew Freitag picked up the win on the mound tossing 3.1 innings of one-hit ball while striking out three in relief.
