ROCKFORD, Ill. – In a tightly contested battle at Regent Field this afternoon, the Beloit College Buccaneers displayed a potent mix of dominant pitching and timely hitting, only to see a late-inning surge by Rockford University result in a narrow 4-3 defeat.
Despite the loss, the Buccaneers (7-9, 0-0 MWC) showcased the talent that has defined their early season, led by a masterful performance on the mound from Will Lyng (Helena, MT) and multi-hit efforts from the heart of the order.
The story for much of the afternoon was Beloit starter Lyng. Lyng was nearly untouchable through seven innings of work, stifling the Rockford bats at every turn. He surrendered only five hits and a single unearned run while striking out six. Most impressively, Lyng did not issue a single walk during his 26 batters faced, providing the Buccaneers with a clinical performance that kept the opposition off-balance until he departed with a 3-1 lead.
After falling behind 1-0 in the third inning, the Beloit offense began to find its rhythm in the middle frames, manufacturing runs through patience and situational hitting.
The Buccaneers evened the score in the top of the fifth. After Roan Schmidt (Simi Valley, Calif.) doubled to center field and Brody Bremer (Mesa, Ariz.) reached on a single, the bases were eventually loaded for Seth Brankey (Salem, Wis.). Brankey showed veteran discipline, drawing a bases-loaded walk to plate Schmidt and tie the game at 1-1.
Beloit took the lead in the sixth thanks to a heavy dose of small ball and aggressive base running. Nolan Tomsyck (Muskego, Wis) singled to start the frame, followed by a base hit from Jordan Rosenberg (Leawood, KS). Schmidt then stepped up and delivered a clutch RBI single down the left-field line to score Tomsyck. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded again, Bremer displayed excellent plate vision to earn another bases-loaded walk, forcing home Rosenberg to extend the Beloit lead to 3-1.
The Buccaneers' attack was paced by Schmidt and Rosenberg, both of whom finished the day 2-for-4. Rosenberg's day was highlighted by a booming triple to right-center in the second inning, while Schmidt's double and RBI single proved vital to the Beloit scoring effort. Bremer also reached base three times (one hit, two walks), driving in a run in the process.
The game turned in the bottom of the eighth inning. After Lyng's departure, Rockford managed to string together a walk and a double to pull within one. A subsequent two-run single by Marcus Taylor gave the Regents a 4-3 lead.
Beloit refused to go quietly in the top of the ninth. Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) singled to left field with one out and successfully stole second base to put the tying run in scoring position. Alport advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Rockford's Sidney Atkins managed to escape the jam with a strikeout to end the game.
The Buccaneers open Midwest Conference action this weekend on the road at Illinois College. They will face off against the Blue Boys at 12 and 2:30 on Saturday and at 12 pm on Sunday.
