The Beaver baseball team opened their 2024 campaign on the road in Iola, Kan. against the Allen County Community College Red Devils. The four-game series started on Thursday, Feb. 1 and wrapped up on Friday, Feb. 2. The Beavers won games two and four with Allen County winning games one and three.  

Game One Recap 

In the first game of the series, Allen County Community College defeated Pratt Community College 13-3. The Red Devils started strong, scoring 2 runs in the first inning. Pratt managed to respond with a run in the first inning, but Allen County quickly took control, scoring 7 runs in the second inning. The Beavers fought back with a run in the second and third innings, but Allen County continued to extend their lead, scoring 1 run in the third, 2 runs in the fourth, and 1 run in the fifth inning.  

For Pratt Community College, Payton Mitchell and Drew Wardell were the standout performers. Mitchell hit a home run and had an RBI, while Wardell also contributed with a home run and an RBI. Jace Doelitsch started on the mound for Pratt, but struggled, giving up 9 runs in just 2 innings. Cayden Brown took over in the third inning and allowed 3 runs in 2 innings. Max Moreno pitched a scoreless inning but gave up one run before the game ended. 

Game Two Recap 

In game two, Pratt defeated Allen County with a final score of 10-4. The Beavers had a strong offensive performance, scoring 10 runs on 9 hits.  

Pratt got off to a slow start, failing to score in the first inning. However, they quickly turned things around, scoring 1 run in the second inning and 1 run in the fourth inning. They had a big sixth inning, scoring 6 runs to secure their victory. Pratt Community College's top performers at the plate were Gavin Djurovic, who had 1 hit and 1 RBI, and Tytin Goebel, who had 2 hits and 3 RBIs. Drew Bugner and Jaden Flores also contributed with 1 home run each. 

On the defensive side, Pratt Community College had a solid outing, committing only 1 error. Their pitching staff performed well, with Josh Doelitsch pitching 3 innings and allowing 4 runs, and Lincoln Butt pitching 3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Nick Noble closed out the game with 1 scoreless inning. 

Game Three Recap 

On the second day of competition, the Red Devils narrowly defeated the Beavers 7-6. The game started with Allen County, scoring five runs in the first inning. Pratt responded with a run in the second inning, but Allen County maintained their lead with another run in the third inning. The Beavers made a comeback in the fifth inning, scoring three runs to tie the game at 5-5. However, Allen County quickly regained the lead with a run in the fourth inning. The game ended with Allen County on top, winning 7-6. 

For Pratt, Dtre Bugner stood out going 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Tytin Goebel also contributed with two hits and two RBIs. On the pitching side, Dalton Mantz struggled, allowing five runs in just one inning. 

Game Four Recap 

With the Beavers down 2-1 in the series they finished the four-game series with a dominating 13-3 win to split the series at two games apiece with Allen County.  

The Beaver batters were in top form, scoring 13 runs on 11 hits. Gavin Djurovic, Ben Waliczek, and Drew Bugner were the standout performers, contributing significantly to PCC's victory. Djurovic had a double and three RBIs, while Waliczek had two hits and two runs. Bugner's impressive performance included a home run and five RBIs. 

Pratt's pitching staff played a crucial role in their final victory of the series. Carson Padgett started the game and pitched three innings, allowing three runs. Alex Gillig, Gavin Phippen, Caleb Wurzer, and Matthe St. Pe also contributed with solid performances, collectively allowing zero runs in the remaining four innings. 

Up Next 

The Beavers will travel to Fort Scott, Kan. this weekend February 9 and 10 for a four-game series against the Greyhounds.