The Gustavus baseball team lost early leads in both games of a doubleheader against Buena Vista as the Gusties fell 4-7 and 8-11 on Sunday afternoon in Storm Lake, Iowa. The Beavers hit a walk-off three-run home run in the seventh inning to win game one and scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the victory in game two. Gustavus fell to 3-3 overall, while Buena Vista improved its record to 5-1.
In the first game, Alan Woitas led off the second inning with a single up the middle of the infield and later scored after Nate Ruff delivered a RBI single to center field to give the Gusties a 1-0 lead. Gustavus extended its lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning when Woitas and Andrew Bartz scored after a Buena Vista error and a double by Greg Lane.
The Beavers got on the scoreboard with four runs after hitting a home run and a pair of doubles in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Gusties tied the game in the top of the seventh when a lead off walk came eventually came across home plate. However, Buena Vista’s Kevin Kloewer delivered a three-run home run to left field for a 7-4 win. Ryan Michaelis suffered the loss for Gustavus after giving up three hits for three runs. Alan Woitas led the Gusties at the plate by going 2-for-4 and scored two runs.
Gustavus struck early in the second game by scoring three runs in the second inning when the first three batters reached base after earning walks. Buena Vista scored its first run of the game in the third inning when the Beavers manufactured a run after the lead off batter got on base to cut the lead to 3-1.
The Gusties extended their advantage to 6-1 after the fifth inning when Nate Ruff and Alan and Andrew Woitas scored. Buena Vista would answer with four runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 6-5 in favor of Gustavus. The Gustie bats were not done yet as doubles by Tory Herman and Alan Woitas drove in two more runs to take an 8-5 lead. The first three Beaver hitters reached base in the sixth to fuel a six-run inning as Buena Vista took its first lead of the game as the score stood 11-8. Gustavus went down in order in the seventh as the Beavers won the second game.
Offensively, Mike DesLauriers went 2-for-4 and scored a run to lead the Gusties. Adam Bren picked up the loss for Gustavus as he gave up two hits and six earned runs in 1.2 innings.
The Gusties resume action against Calvin College on Saturday, March 21 in Chandler, Ariz. in the first doubleheader of their Spring Break trip.