BELOIT, Wis. - The Beloit College Baseball team took the field at The Ballpark at Strong Stadium for the first time in 2024 this afternoon to host MWC foe Ripon College. This afternoon's game was the deciding factor in the series, with each time winning one game up at Ripon on Thursday. In front a huge Buccaneer crowd, Beloit defeated Ripon 5-4 in comeback fashion. The Buccaneers (11-6, 4-2 MWC) scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to win the game 5-4 over the Red Hawks (4-9, 1-2 MWC).
Starting pitcher
Ben Schweit (Simi Valley, CA.) kicked off the top of the first by inducing back-to-back ground outs. A fielding error put the third batter on base but no harm was done as another ground ball cut down the runner from first at second.
Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) led off for the Bucs in the bottom of the first, reaching on a throwing error by the shortstop but got thrown out trying to take second. Following a strike out for the second out,
Connor Vogel (Palmdale, Calif.) and
Brett Kiger (Beloit, Wis.) walked to put runners on first and second.
Evan Zenger (Burr Ridge, Ill.) hit a hard liner right to the first basemen to end the Beloit threat. Neither team scored in the second inning. Schweit walked one and let his defense work on two ground outs and a pop out.
The Red Hawks broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third inning using an error and speed on the bases to send two runners home. The Bucs' got one back in the bottom half of the inning. With the top of the order up, Alport was hit by a pitch, Vogel singled to center to put runners on first and second. Kiger was the second Buc of the inning to be hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Zenger reached on a fielder's choice that cut Kiger down at second but allowed Alport to score, making the score 2-1 heading into the fourth.
Ripon extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the fourth.
Brendan Meyers (Palatine, Ill.) led off the Beloit half of the fourth with a walk.
Blake Nelson (Monument, CO.) doubled down the left field line, moving Meyers to third.
Nolan Tomsyck (Muskego, Wis) singled to center, scoring Meyers and putting runners on the corners. Alport grounded into a double play but got the RBI when Nelson scored. At the end of four, Ripon led 4-3.
It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth that the Bucs' scored again. After two quick outs,
Matt O'Leary (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) and Vogel hit back to back doubles. O'Leary came around to score on Vogel's double, tying the game at 4. Kiger followed with a single through the left side that put the Bucs' ahead for good.
Harvey Pena (Riverside, Calif.) came into pitch the final three innings for Beloit. Shutting down the Red Hawks on the way to his second save of the season.
Beloit hits the road on Tuesday, April 2nd for a double-header against the University of Chicago. First pitch for game one in Chicago is set for 1 pm.
