GRINNELL, IA. - The Beloit College Baseball team continued to work it's way through the Midwest Conference this afternoon when they traveled to Grinnell, Iowa for a series against the Grinnell College Pioneers. The Buccaneers (19-10, 12-6 MWC) defeated the Pioneers (12-18, 5-9 MWC) in both games today, winning 7-4 and 16-1 in 8 innings.
In game one, the Bucs found themselves trailing 3-1 after two innings. Their only run came via a
Miles Souza (Carpinteria, Calif.) home run to left center in the top of the second. In the top of the third they began to find their groove offensively.
Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) led off with a single to center. He then stole second and move to third when
Connor Vogel (Palmdale, Calif.) singled to right. Alport scored and Vogel was cut down at second when
Brett Kiger (Beloit, Wis.) hit into a fielder's choice. Beloit still trailed 2-3 heading into the sixth inning. Pinch hitting,
Nolan Tomsyck (Muskego, Wis) singled to left to get the action going in the sixth. He advanced to third when
Riley Ponio (Morris, Ill.) reached on an error by the Pioneer pitcher. Alport hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Tomsyck and tie the game at three. Grinnell regained the lead in the bottom half of the sixth with a solo home run.
In the top of the seventh, BC plated runs four more runs and held on to a three run 7-4 lead to take game one. Three straight singles from Vogel, Kiger and
Evan Zenger (Burr Ridge, Ill.) loaded the bases. Back to back walks from Tomsyck and
Tyler White scored Vogel and Kiger. Ponio laced a two RBI single to center to bring Tomsyck and Zenger home.
Aiden Phipps (Simi Valley, Calif.) and
Harvey Pena (Riverside, Calif.) combined for the win and save. Phipps earned the win pitching seven innings and striking out seven in the process. Pena shut down the Pioneer offense over the final three innings. Pena struck out four while only giving up two hits.
The Buccaneers found their groove offensively in game two, scoring in a multitude of different ways. Game two marked their 10th game with multiple home runs and their fifth with more that two.
Alport reached and moved to second on an error by the left fielder to lead off the first inning.
Matt O'Leary (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) singled to center, allowing Alport to cross home for the first run. Doing it all, Alport hit a two run home run in the second to extend the Buccaneer lead to three, 3-0. In the top of the third, Beloit added four runs to push their lead to seven, 7-0. Vogel singled, Tomsyck tripled and Zenger doubled. By the time Zenger reached second, two runs had come home. Ponio continued the rally with an infield single. Alport collected RBIs three and four when he doubled to right center, scoring both runners. Grinnell's single run came in the bottom of the third.
O'Leary launched his third home run of the year in the top of the fourth. His solo shot made it 8-1. Zenger led off the top of the fifth with a walk and scored on a
Blake Nelson (Monument, CO.) double to right. Alport smoked his second bomb of the game, this time to left field. With the bases empty, Souza doubled to right center. He moved to third on a fly out to center from O'Leary and scored on an RBI double from Kiger. A second Buccaneer home run of the inning came off the bat of Vogel and extended the lead to 13, 14-1. The Bucs closed out the scoring in the top of the seventh. O'Leary and Kiger led off with back to back singles. Tomsyck double to right center to score both runners and collect two more RBIs.
Ben Schweit (Simi Valley, CA.) went the distance in game two, pitching seven innings and striking out eight Pioneers in the process.
The Bucs and Pioneers wrap up the series tomorrow at noon at Pioneer Park in Grinnell, IA.
