STORM LAKE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque finished Friday's doubleheader victory over the league leader Buena Vista University Beavers with five homeruns. UD won game one by a 12-8 margin and captured Friday's sweep with a 9-4 win in the second contest. UD moved up to fifth in the American Rivers Conference standings and dropped Buena Vista to second place.
In the opener, UD scored 12 runs off 14 hits as the host Beavers scored eight runs in 13 hits and both teams played errorless. UD led early after scoring a run in the first inning. UD would find their power after
Maguire Fitzgerald homered down the left field line to extend their lead to 2-0.
Micah O'Neal followed with a solo homer in the fourth to increase the lead to 3-0. In the fifth inning,
Luke Burgos singled to right-center and scored
Daniel Maller and
Aidan Elfering to lead 5-0.
The Beavers chewed their way back by scoring three runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to knot the game at 5-5.
Daniel Maller broke the tie with a homerun to left field in the top of the eighth. BV scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead 8-6. The Spartans would not go away and rallied at the top of the ninth inning and plated six runs to grab the lead once again 12-8. Elfering compiled the Spartans fourth homerun of the game, a three run shot in the ninth inning. UD held on in the bottom of the ninth for the 12-8 win.
Colin Husko led the offense with three hits in six at bats and score a run and collected an RBI.
Daniel Maller went 2-5 with an RBI, leadoff
Jake Cekander was 2-6 with two RBI's,
Kyle Radi 2-4, Michah O'Neal 2-4 with an RBI, and
Aidan Elfering 1-4 with a team high three RBI's.
Charlie Jaeger tossed five innings and allowed three earned runs while striking out seven.
Maguire Fitzgerald threw 2.1 innings and allowed four earned runs before
Christian Battista collected the win after the final 1.2 innings by allowing one earned run and striking out three.
The Spartans scored nine runs off eight hits in the nightcap. BV was held to four runs in 11 hits. Both teams scored three runs each in the first inning. UD added a run in the third, two runs in the fourth, two runs in the eighth and a run in the ninth. BV added a run in the fourth and UD held them scoreless the final five innings to collect the A-R-C sweep.
Daniel Maller had the hot bat, missing the cycle after finishing with a double, a triple, and a homerun. He was 3-4 at the plate, scored four runs and had two RBI's.
Luke Burgos led the team with four RBI's after a pair of doubles.
Edward Rosas grabbed the victory and entering in relief and throwing 7.1 innings and allowed one earned run with seven strikeouts.
Patrick Rafferty entered the final inning and struck out two.
The Spartans finished the regular season with a 13-11 conference record and a 24-16 overall mark. The 2024 American Rivers Conference Tournament begins next week at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa beginning on May 9-11.
