BELOIT, Wis. - The Beloit College baseball team hosted the Aurora Univeristy Spartans this afternoon in their final game before the Midwest Conference Tournament. The Buccaneers (21-15) were hoping to build momentum heading into the post season. The Spartans (29-9) had other ideas and shut the Bucs out, 5-0. 

The Spartans jumped out to a 3-0 lead after home runs in the first and the second. Brett Kiger (Beloit, Wis.) recorded Beloit's first hit in the bottom of the second with an infield single but was left stranded on first after two fly outs and a strike out. Over the next five innings, the teams combined for just five hits. The Buccaneers put runners on second in the fourth, fifth and sixth but couldn't advance them any further. Beloit's best chance to break out was in the bottom of the eighth. Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) led off the inning with a single to center. Matt O'Leary (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs. Connor Vogel (Palmdale, Calif.) grounded into a double play that cut down the lead runner in Alport and himself, leaving O'Leary on second. Kiger walked and O'Leary stole third but a ground out to the shortstop ended the inning. The Spartans tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the 9th to extend their lead to 5-0. 

All three Buccaneer pitchers went three innings. Aiden Phipps (Simi Valley, Calif.) started on the mound, recording one strike and one walk in his three innings. Ben Schweit (Simi Valley, CA.) pitched the fourth, fifth and sixth, striking out one and giving up two hits. Harvey Pena (Riverside, Calif.) closed out the game, striking out two and walking two. 

The Buccaneers will regroup before defending their MWC Tournament Title next weekend. As the number three seed, Beloit will face the University of Chicago in game two on Friday, May 10th. Time is still TBA for the tournament in Appleton.