AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Beloit's baseball team used pitching, combined with timely hitting to earn a 5-2 victory against Stockton University in the Buccaneers' 2023 season opener Saturday afternoon. Beloit allowed just five hits in the contest and never trailed after the first inning.

After Stockton (3-4) pushed across a run in the top of the first to take the game's first lead, Beloit answered with an RBI single in the bottom of that frame by Miles Souza to tie the game, before a sac fly off the bat of Brett Kiger gave the Bucs the lead.

Beloit (1-0) added another run in the fourth on an RBI double to left by Deven Irwin, scoring Evan Zenger, who had led the inning off with a double of his own. After a Stockton solo home run to left field in the sixth inning cut Beloit's lead to one, Garrison Ferone got that run back in the seventh on a double to right, scoring Jack Alport. Kiger capped the scoring in the eighth with a solo blast over the left field fence.

Aiden Phipps (1-0) earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out five batters in six innings of work. Harvey Pena picked up the save, pitching three hitless innings of relief, while striking out three.

The Buccaneers will be in action again on Sunday when they'll battle UW-Superior in a doubleheader. The first game of that twinbill will begin at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time in Davenport, Fla. at NorthEast Regional Park #3.