DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Baseball team split on the final day of the series with Buena Vista, winning the first game 2-1 and falling in game two 7-1. Junior Alex Steines threw eight innings of four-hit ball while striking out nine to earn his second win of the season.

Steines had each of his pitches working to his advantage from the start, allowing just three hits through the first four innings while striking out three. His ability to get ahead with first pitch strikes kept the Buena Vista hitters on their toes and off-balance.

In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Tony Heiser lead off the inning with a single to the first baseman. Senior Adam Kennedy then attempted a sacrifice bunt, but ended up reaching after the Beavers attempted to get Heiser out at second, but were unsuccessful.

Sophomore Luke Leibforth followed up Kenendy's sacrifice bunt attempt, but ended up reaching when Devon Harms and Wes Onken converged on the same location which gave Leibforth just enough of an advantage to reach safely.

With the bases loaded and no outs, the Duhawks nearly ruined their chances with back-to-back strikeouts. Luckily for Loras, sophomore Cole Reeg drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded to score Heiser from third and give the Duhawks the 1-0 lead.

For as good as Steines was on the mound, it appeared as though the one-run lead was all he would need. The Dubuque native cruised through the sixth inning, striking out two and forcing Eric Gurbacki to fly out to center.

Down to their final three outs, Buena Vista benefited from a solo home run by Neil Marshall, tying the game at one.

Extra innings were in store for Loras after they were unable to score in the home half of the seventh.

With Steines back out for the eighth inning, he sent the Beavers down in order once again to bring his team back to bat.

Senior Anthony Flattery was hit by a pitch on a 2-2 count to begin the rally for the Duhawks. With freshman Dan Weis coming on for Flattery, junior Patrick Walsh singled up the middle to move Weis to third.

The Beavers opted for an intentional walk to senior Spence Bonner, which brought Heiser to the plate. Heiser was the hero in game two yesterday, singling through the left side. On Monday, he would be the hero again, lifting a 3-2 pitch into left field deep enough to allow Weis to tag and score.



With the win, Loras clinched their third consecutive appearance in the Iowa Conference Tournament.

Game two featured freshman Nick Spiess on the mound, making his second career start. A rocky start never smoothed out for Spiess, who was touched up for three runs on six hits over three innings pitched.

Opposing Spiess on the mound was Jacob Hadaway for the Beavers. Hadaway had his way with Loras, throwing six strong innings, allowing four hits while striking out five.

Most of the Loras lineup struggled to create solid contact against Hadaway. Walsh was the lone hitter who seemed to have Hadaway's number, as he went 2-for-3 with a double, a single, and a RBI.

In the third, a one-out double down the right field line by Reeg, Walsh singled hard up the middle to bring Reeg around to score the lone Duhawk run of the game.

The Beavers responded by plating one in the fourth, one in the sixth, and two in the seventh.

In relief of Spiess, the Duhawks turned to their bullpen to finish the game. Senior Kody Massner threw 2/3 of an inning before being lifted for junior Nick Petruzzi. Buena Vista tallied two hits and one run against Massner before Petruzzi came in and threw 1 1/3 innings of no-hit ball.

Senior Connor Schreck and freshman Dan Millius came on in relief of Petruzzi and finished the game, combining for two innings, two hits, and three runs, all unearned.

Game Changer - Game 1
Dan Weis went from first to third on a single up the middle by Patrick Walsh … This forced the Beavers to intentionally walk Spence Bonner and bring Tony Heiser to the plate

Game Changer - Game 2
In the third inning, Buena Vista rattled off three doubles to take the 3-0 lead … While Loras responded with one of their own in the home half, the Beavers extended their lead back to three with a solo home run in the fourth

Key Stat - Game 1
The Duhawks were 5-for-12 in advancement opportunities, which put additional pressure on the Buena Vista pitchers

Key Stat - Game 2
Loras was limited to 1-for-10 hitting with runners on base, compared to Buena Vista hitting 5-for-17

Notables

Quotable
Alex Steines, junior starting pitcher



Up Next
The Duhawks head to Pella, Iowa next weekend for the final series of the regular season. With their berth in the postseason already locked up, the Duhawks now fight for seeding in the tournament.