BURLINGTON, IA. - The Beloit College Baseball team kicked off the 2024 Midwest Conference Season the same way they ended the 2023 MWC season, winning. In what was supposed to be the home opener for the team, they instead headed to Burlington, Iowa and Community Field to play a neutral site game because of the weather. Despite the changes, the Buccaneers' (8-4, 1-0 MWC) didn't miss a beat and defeated the Rams (8-5, 0-1 MWC) 6-1 in game one of the three game series.
The Rams opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, scoring their only run of the game off back-to-back-to-back singles.
Evan Zenger (Burr Ridge, Ill.) led off the top of the second with a walk before moving to second on a passed ball. With one out,
Elijah Love (Madison, Wis.) singled up the middle to score Zenger. Love advanced to second on the throw home. Love ended the inning when he got caught trying to steal third.
With the top of the order leading off in the third, Beloit looked to break the 1-1 tie.
Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) singled to left, moving over to second on a stolen base. He moved 90 feet from scoring on a wild pitch.
Connor Vogel (Palmdale, Calif.) hit an RBI ground out to the third basemen, bringing Alport in to score. Looking to start a two out, bases empty rally,
Brett Kiger (Beloit, Wis.) tripled to center but was left stranded.
The score remained 2-1 until the top of the fifth.
Brendan Meyers (Palatine, Ill.) came up to the plate with two outs and singled down the left field line. Vogel followed with his own single, moving Meyers all the way to third. Meyers became the Bucs' third run in when he scored on a wild pitch.
The top of the sixth was the only inning in which Beloit brought more than one run in. Following two quick outs,
RJ Pouzar (Hartford, Wis.) walked and
Jacopo "JT" Tamburini (Bologna, Italy) came in to pinch hit. Tamburini immediately made an impact by doubling to right field to score Pouzar. Tamburini then advanced on a wild pitch. Alport reached on an error by the shortstop which extended the inning allowing Tamburini to score. Midway through the sixth, BC led 5-1.
Beloit scored their sixth and final run in the top of the eighth. Pouzar led off the inning with a single to right field and stealing second. With
Seth Brankey in to pinch hit, he singled to left, scoring Pouzar from second.
Starting pitcher
Aiden Phipps (Simi Valley, Calif.) earned his third win of the season after going seven complete innings, striking out four and walking none.
Micah Wilk (Martinez, Calif.) shut down the Rams over the final two innings, striking out one and walking one while only giving up one hit.
The Buccaneers and Rams will head to Monmouth College tomorrow to wrap up the rest of the series. Game one from Monmouth is set for 12 pm with first pitch for game two coming around 2:30 pm.
