Green Knights Swept In Pair of One-Run Losses at Beloit

From Sports Information Director, April 16, 2016 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

BELOIT - St. Norbert College had a tough day at Beloit College, losing a pair of one-run decisions by scores of 2-1 and 9-8 in 11 innings in Midwest Conference North Division action at The Ballpark at Strong Stadium.

The Green Knights (7-9, 3-3 MWC North) came up on the short end of a pitchers' duel in the opener. Beloit's Ryan Kaveney scattered 11 hits with two walks and six strikeouts to top St. Norbert's Jake McMahon, who allowed just five hits with two walks and 12 strikeouts.

Beloit snapped a scoreless tie in the sixth inning on a Jalen Davis RBI single. The Buccaneers added another run in the seventh on a Zach Jenkins run-scoring double. St. Norbert scored its lone run on three hits in the top of the eighth inning when Tyler Brown had an RBI single.

St. Norbert was the victim of Beloit turning three double plays. Tyler Banovich was 3-for-4 while Adam Enwiya was 2-for-4.

In the nightcap, Brown hit a solo home run in the ninth inning to force extra innings. The Green Knights had a runner cut down at home plate in the top of the 11th inning, and Baylee Slevira's RBI double in the bottom of the inning gave the Buccaneers the sweep.

Banovich hit a solo home run in the first inning for St. Norbert, but Beloit answered with two runs in the first inning. The Green Knights went ahead 3-2 in the top of the third inning on a two-run double by Banovich.

Beloit scored four runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth for a 6-3 lead. St. Norbert answered with a run in the top of the fifth inning on a run-scoring hit by Brown. Beloit got the run back in its half of the fifth but St. Norbert tied the game 7-7 with three runs in the top of the sixth. Derek Klegin had an RBI double, Hunter Larson and RBI single and Banovich scored on a wild pitch. Beloit took an 8-7 lead with a single run in the sixth inning.

Banovich was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Robbie Dombrowski was 3-for-4, while Brown was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Klegin 2-for-6 with two runs scored. Matt Zacharias took the loss with six-plus innings of long relief, allowing four hits, one earned run, one walk and six strikeouts.