AUBURNDALE, Fla. – In a commanding display of offensive firepower and clinical pitching, Beloit College dismantled Mt. St. Mary (N.Y.) with a 14-2 victory this morning. The Buccaneers improved their season record to 6-2, fueled by a 15-hit barrage and a dominant start on the mound from Will Lyng (Helena, MT).
Beloit wasted no time establishing control. In the bottom of the first inning, Nolan Tomsyck (Muskego, Wis) opened the scoring with an RBI single to right-center, driving home Parker Krcmar (Waupaca, Wis.).
While the offense hummed, starting pitcher Lyng was untouchable. Lyng earned the win (1-0) with four scoreless innings, surrendering only a single hit while striking out three. His efficiency allowed the Buccaneers to play with confidence as the lead ballooned in the middle innings.
The third inning proved to be the turning point as Beloit exploded for four runs. Tomsyck continued his hot afternoon with an RBI double, followed immediately by a two-run double from Jacopo "JT" Tamburini (Bologna, Italy). Drew Hanson (Edgerton, Wis.) then capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
Hanson was a persistent thorn in the side of the Knights' pitching staff all day. Finishing 2-for-2 with three RBIs, he added another sacrifice fly in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth.
However, the individual standout of the day was Seth Brankey (Salem, Wis.). The right fielder put on a hitting clinic, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate. Brankey's highlight came in the fifth inning when he laced a two-run single to center, scoring Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Aiden Wood (Chandler, Ariz.) to push the lead to 9-0.
The Buccaneers truly broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth, crossing the plate five times. The inning featured a patient approach at the plate and opportunistic baserunning. Following Hanson's RBI single, Alport drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run. Two more runs scored on a pitching error and a wild pitch before Vinnie Lutz (Cary, Ill.) capped the Beloit scoring with an RBI single to center field, bringing the score to a staggering 14-0.
Mt. St. Mary finally broke the shutout in the top of the seventh with a two-run double by Elijah Duprey, but it was far too little, too late. Alex Klun (Sun Prairie, Wis.) closed out the game for Beloit, striking out two in the final frame to seal the 12-run victory.
The win marks the 591st of head coach Dave DeGeorge's career, pushing him past Bill Knapton as the winningest coach in Beloit College history.
The Buccaneers have the day off tomorrow before returning to the field on Thursday against Stockton. First pitch from Chain of Lakes Park is set for 10:30am ET / 9:30am CT.
