BELOIT, Wis. – Behind a masterful complete-game performance from junior pitcher Ben Schweit (Simi Valley, CA.) and a timely offensive surge, the Beloit College Buccaneers secured a convincing 7-1 victory over Monmouth College in the opening game of their weekend series on Friday afternoon.
The story of the game was Schweit (W, 2-3), who stifled the Fighting Scots (6-13, 2-2 MWC) bats from start to finish. Schweit tossed a full 9.0 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits. Perhaps most impressively, he did not surrender a single walk while racking up nine strikeouts on 115 pitches.
Schweit retired the side in order in the first and ninth innings, maintaining his velocity and command throughout the contest to keep the Fighting Scots off-balance.
After three scoreless innings, the Beloit offense came alive in the bottom of the fourth. Parker Krcmar (Waupaca, Wis.) and Blake Nelson (Monument, CO.) sparked the rally with back-to-back singles. Nolan Tomsyck (Muskego, Wis) then reached on a fielder's choice to drive in the game's first run. The big blow came off the bat of Brody Bremer (Mesa, Ariz.), who laced a two-RBI single to left-center, scoring both Tomsyck and Nelson to give the Bucs a 3-0 lead.
Beloit added another run in the fifth when Jacopo "JT" Tamburini (Bologna, Italy) doubled down the right-field line and was promptly driven home by an RBI single from Krcmar.
While Monmouth managed to scratch across a run in the sixth, Beloit slammed the door with a three-run eighth inning. The Buccaneers showed great plate discipline as Aiden Wood (Chandler, Ariz.), Roan Schmidt (Simi Valley, Calif.), and Tomsyck all reached base to load them up. Bremer then drew a bases-loaded walk to earn his third RBI of the day.
Jack Alport (Arlington Heights, Ill.) forced another run across when he reached on an error by the shortstop, and Seth Brankey (Salem, Wis.) capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing the final tally to 7-1.
The second game of Friday's doubleheader was suspended due to darkness in the late innings. At the time of the stoppage, Monmouth holds a 7-3 lead. The two teams will return to the field tomorrow afternoon to play the final inning of Game 2 prior to the regularly scheduled third game of the series. Game time is set for 1 pm.
