MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Beloit College Baseball opened the 2024 season on the road against the MSOE Raiders this afternoon. The Buccaneers split the double-header, falling 1-5 in game one and using 11 innings to take a 15-12 victory in the second game.
The Raiders (1-1) got on the board first, plating four runs in the bottom of the second. The Bucs (0-1) didn't record their first hit until
Miles Souza (Carpinteria, Calif.) singled to the shortstop in the top of the fifth. A fielders choice and strike out left the first Beloit base runner stranded.
Matt O'Leary (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) doubled to right center in the top of the sixth, but once again, Beloit's offense stalled and O'Leary was left stranded. The Bucs added their lone run in the top of the ninth when O'Leary started the rally with a lead off double down the left field line.
Evan Zenger (Burr Ridge, Ill.) walked before both him and O'Leary advanced on a passed ball. O'Leary came into score off a single from Souza.
Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) got the start in game one for the Bucs, going five innings and giving up four runs of five hits.
Erick Tiegs (Waukesha, Wis.) faced the final 15 batters, striking out four while giving up one run.
The offense exploded for both teams in the second game. Alport walked to start the game and advanced to second on a grounder through the right side off the bat of O'Leary.
Connor Vogel became a productive ground out to second that advanced both runners 90 feet. Zenger singled to score Alport and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Souza hit a two RBI single to right field before being picked off at first to end the inning. The Raiders had an equally as productive inning, bringing four in to score.
By the top of the 8th, they extended their lead to 12-3. Zenger, Souza,
Elijah Love (Madison, Wis.) and a pinch-hitting
Seth Brankey (Salem, Wis.) all singled to load the bases with just one out in the top of the 8th.
Blake Nelson (Monument, CO.) walked to score Zenger. Alport followed up with a single to score Love, O'Leary hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Brankey and bring the score to 6-12. Vogel continued the rally with a double down the left field line, scoring Nelson. Back-to-back-to-back singles from
Brett Kiger (Beloit, Wis.), Zenger and Souza cut the Raiders' lead to just two, 10-12. The inning ended with three Bucs stranded on bases.
More small ball in the Bucs' last inning to extend the game did just that. Alport was hit by a pitch before O'Leary singled to move Alport to third. Vogel tied the game with a 2 RBI single to center field. Kiger provided the heroics in the top of the 11th, hammering a three-run home run over the left center fence.
The committee of
Kaiya Nishino (Seattle, Wash.),
Eamon Burke (Helena, Mont.), Harvey Pena (Riverside, Calif.) and
Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) took the mound for Beloit. Nishino and Burke both went three innings. Pena covered four innings, striking out six. Alport earned his first save of the season, facing the minimum in one inning of work.
The Buccaneers take an extended break before traveling south for spring break. They will spend the week of March 9th-16th at the RussMatt Invitational in Auburndale, Florida. Game dates and times can be found
here.
