DAVENPORT, Fla. - The Beloit Baseball team kicked off the 2024 RussMatt Invitational this afternoon with a game against the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks. The Bucs only out hit IIT by one, 12-11 but utilized 5 Scarlet Hawk errors to separate themselves.
The Buccaneers (2-1) fell behind in the top of the 1st when the runner on second scored before the final out. After a single to center field,
Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) gunned down the final out at third. Illinois Tech (1-4) added two more runs in the top of the third to take a 3-0 lead. The Bucs' offense woke up in the bottom of the third with
Drew Hanson (Edgerton, Wis.) singling and
Preston Matson (Roselle, Ill.) walking. Turning the lineup over, Alport singled to left to load the bases.
Matt O'Leary (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) came up and doubled to right center to score two, Hanson and Matson. With runners in scoring position, Conor Vogel singled to right field, sending Alport and O'Leary home. The third inning ended in a 3-3 tie.
Beloit took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and the bases full of Bucs, Alport singled to center, scoring
Evan Zenger (Burr Ridge, Ill.). The scoring threat ended when Hanson was thrown out at home trying to go from second to home. Again BC scored one run in the bottom of the fifth. O'Leary led off the inning with a single back up the middle. Vogel grounded out to the second basemen but O'Leary had a good enough jump to avoid the double-play. Zenger reached on an error by the pitcher, allowing O'Leary scored. Zenger ended the inning by getting caught stealing.
The Scarlet Hawks got a run back in the top of the seventh on a deep double to left field. In the bottom of the seventh with a 6-4 lead,
Elijah Love (Madison, Wis.) reached on an error by the shortstop and came around to score on a Nelson double down the right field line. With
Ryan Kopp (Pinole, Calif.) in to pinch run for Beloit, and Alport on first, O'Leary singled through the left side but Kopp was thrown out at home.
Brett Kiger (Beloit, Wis.) ended the threat of an IIT comeback in the bottom of the eighth with his second homer of the season. With Vogel on via an error by the 1st basemen, Kiger sent a shot to left center, giving Beloit an 9-4 lead.
Aiden Phipps (Simi Valley, Calif.) earned his second win of the season, going six inning, giving up nine hits and two walks while striking out two.
Caleb Lasher (Albuquerque, N.M.) went one inning and
Harvey Pena (Riverside, Calif.) went two innings, striking out three and didn't give up a hit.
Beloit continues play at the RussMatt tomorrow afternoon with a double-header against the Loras College Duhawks. First pitch for game one is set for 2:15 pm CT.
