Baseball Edged by Rams in IIAC Opener

The Buena Vista baseball team scored three eighth-inning runs to take a 14-10 lead, but it was Cornell College answering with six runs in the bottom of the frame en route to the 16-14 victory on Friday night during the Iowa Conference opener for both teams.

BVU jumped out to the early 4-0 lead in the first, getting RBI singles from Weston Foxx and Brock Yossi, before adding two more on a fielding error by the Rams.  All four of the Beaver runs came after two were out.

After Cornell cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, the Beavers then got an infield RBI hit from Joe Paletta, while Scheetz plated two more with a two-run single and a 7-2 advantage.  The Rams, however, weren’t going to go away, storming back with four runs of their own to get back within one before adding another run in the third to tie things up at 7-7.

Yossi drove home his second run in the fourth, while two more scored on another of Cornell’s 10 errors in the contest, giving BVU the lead back at 10-7.  The Rams got one of those runs back in the bottom half for a 10-8 score. 

Yossi doubled to left center with the bases empty and two outs in the sixth and scored one batter later when Neil Eddie singled to right.  Cornell, however, got back within a run in the bottom half when it got a two-out walk, followed by a two-run home run.

Neither team scored in the seventh before BVU added its three two-out runs in the eighth, highlighted by Nick Schlecht’s two-run triple to left center.

The Rams, however, came right back with six runs on four hits in the bottom half, including five runs with two outs.

BVU looked to at least tie things up in the ninth, getting runners to second and third with only one out before Cornell got a strikeout and a ground out to end the game.

Scheetz finished 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored, while Schletcht went 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBI.  Yossi also added three base nocks and three stolen bases, while also driving in two runs and scoring three times.  Six different players finished with at least two hits for BVU, which posted 19 in the contest.

Jon Ringblom got a no-decision in a starting role, going six innings, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits, while striking out five and walking only one.  Jesse Munsterman was charged with three unearned runs on one hit over his one inning of work, while striking out two.  Tyler Lefeber (1-2) was charged with the loss, allowing three unearned runs on three hits in one inning.

Buena Vista is now 7-7 on the year (0-1 IIAC), as the Rams move to 4-8 (1-0 IIAC).  The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Saturday afternoon with a 1:00pm doubleheader.

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