CHICAGO, IL. - This afternoon, the Beloit College Baseball team return to the field after a week of bad weather. The Buccaneers (13-6, 6-2 MWC) defeated the University of Chicago Maroons (4-15, 3-2 MWC) in both games, using late game heroics in both to secure the wins.
The Buccaneers scored first in game one, pushing two runs across in the top of the first inning. After a quick out,
Matt O'Leary (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) was hit by a pitch to give Beloit their first base runner.
Connor Vogel (Palmdale, Calif.) singled to center, moving O'Leary to third.
Brett Kiger (Beloit, Wis.) reached on an error by the third basemen that scored O'Leary and advanced Vogel to second.
Miles Souza (Carpinteria, Calif.) singled in Vogel when he sent a ball down the right field line.
Beloit added a third run in the top of the fifth. O'Leary reached via the walk and moved over two second on a wild pitch. Vogel collected a RBI when he singled down the left field line to score O'Leary. UC broke the game open when they pulled within one with one swing of the bat.
Evan Zenger (Burr Ridge, Ill.) added an insurance run for the Bucs in the top of the sixth when he hit a solo shot to right center, extending the lead to 4-2.
Starting Pitcher
Aiden Phipps (Simi Valley, Calif.) pitched a gem, pitching seven innings, giving up seven hits and striking out four.
Harvey Pena (Riverside, Calif.) closed out the final two innings, shutting down the Maroons offense giving up no hits while striking out three.
In game two, both teams found their footing offensively. Vogel collected another RBI in the top of the first when he batted in
Jack Alport on a single to right. In the bottom of the third, Chicago took a four run, 5-1 advantage. The Buccaneers got one run back in the top of the fifth. O'Leary singled to left field to score Alport. In the top of the sixth, BC put a rally together to tie the game at 5. After two quick outs,
Brendan Meyers (Palatine, Ill.) walked to start the rally. The Bucs' used five straight singles from
Blake Nelson (Monument, CO.),
Nolan Tomsyck (Muskego, Wis), Alport, O'Leary and Vogel to score four. The Maroons pushed two runs across in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead and added their eighth run in the bottom of the seventh.
In the Bucs' half of the eighth, they fought to earn two runs back. Tomsyck walked and Alport was hit by a pitch to kick off the inning. O'Leary singled to right field to score Tomsyck and Zenger singled to score Alport.
In the top of the ninth, Beloit blew the game open, scoring five runs. Vogel collected his second RBI when he singled to right field, scoring
Brody Bremer (Mesa, Ariz.) from third. O'Leary advanced to third on Vogel's hit. A wild pitch from the Maroon pitcher allowed O'Leary to score from third and pushed Vogel to second. A bases loaded walk to Souza made Vogel the 10th Buc to score.
Riley Ponio (Morris, Ill.) hit into a fielder's choice that scored
Nolan Wright (Carmel, Ind.). An error on the play also allowed Zenger to score.
The Bucs' pitched by committee in game two, sending six pitchers to the mound.
Caleb Lasher (Albuquerque, N.M.) earned his first win of the season pitching the eighth inning. Pena closed out the ninth, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one.
The Buccaneers continue MWC play tomorrow when the head down to Galesburg, Ill. to play two against the Knox Prairie Fire. First pitch for game one is set for noon.
