Iowa Lakes would begin their slate of mid-week games for the 2017-2018 season with a Thursday doubleheader against Buena Vista University JV. The Lakers would fall in game 1 by a final score 6-3 but would bounce back in game 2 with a win with the final score being 9-5.

Game 1 would see the Lakers offense get off to a great start by scoring 2 runs in the top of the first inning when BJ Johnson (Tallahassee, Florida) would walk to lead the game off and steal second base during the following at bat. Spenser Larson (Eden Praire, Minnesota) would also walk to put runners at first and second with no body out. Johnson and and Larson would steal third and second base to provide a run scoring opportunity early on in the game. Mallard Holland (Tampa, Florida) would capitalize by driving in the games first run with an RBI groundout to second bease and was then followed up by a Tavan Shahidi (Ames, Iowa) RBI single to centerfield to give the Lakers the 2-0 lead after 1 inning of play. The Buena Vista lineup would answer the two early runs by Iowa Lakes with 3 runs in the bottom of the second inning and single runs in the thrid, fourth, and fifth innings respectively. With the Lakers offense being held in check during the middle innings and score now 6-2 in favor of Buena Vista, the Lakers would try and spark a rally in the top of the seventh after sophomore pitcher Jefferson Geidner (Lincoln, Nebraska) would shut down the Buena Vista offense by pitching 2 scoreless innings in relief. With a lead off single by Holland to start the inning, Holland would advance to second on a wild pitch and score on a 1-out double by Shahidi to bring the Lakers within three runs with the score now at 6-3. The Lakers offense, however, would not score again in the inning and fall in game one.

Buena Visita would jump out to a quick 1-0 lead after the first inning in game 2 but would see the lead disappear when the Lakers would take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second. Chad Hinkle (Rosemount, Minnesota) would take a 1-out walk and would advance to all the way to third base on a wild pitch and stolen base. Sophomore outfielder Ashtin Moxey (Jacksonville, Florida) would drive Hinkle with an RBI single to left field to tie the game and would eventually score himself on a Noah Catron (Praire City, Iowa) RBI groundout to third base. The Lakers would add another run in the top of the third to increase the lead to 3-1 with consecutive 2-out walks by Holland and Shahidi which were then followed up by an RBI single by Jayden Adrians (Green Bay, Wisconsin). Both teams would go back and forth with adding runs in the bottom of the third and the fourth innings before the Lakers offense would get some breathing room in the top of the fifth inning when they put up a 2-run inning in the fifth to increase their lead to 6-3. The top of the fifth inning would see a 1-out walk from Adrians who would later score from third base on a wild pitch to push the lead to 5-3, Moxey would also walk and advance to second on another wild pitch and steal third base to put runner in scoring position with 2 outs in the inning. Catron would walk in the following at bat to runners at the corners when freshman infielder Spencer Keane (Palm Springs, California) would hit a double to the right-center field gap to bring home Moxey and give Iowa Lakes a 6-3 advantage. The Lakers would add on another run the sixth and 2 more runs in the seventh on a 2-run double by Larson. Buena Vista would cut into the lead in their half of the seventh inning with a 2-run double of their own but would fall short of a really to give Iowa Lakes a 9-5 win in game 2. 

The bright spot in game 2 however was the Laker pitching staff when pitchers, Dylan Klein (Sleepy Eye, Minnesota) and Kyle Greenlee (Hastings, Minnesota) would dominate the Buena Vista lineup throughout the entire game. Klein would start the game and go 4 innings while giving up only 3 earned runs and striking out 4 hitters on 5 hits. Greenlee would make his debut for the Lakers and would impress by striking out the side in the fifth inning and only giving up the 2 earned runs in the bottom of the seventh. He would end up striking seven in three innings worth of work.

Iowa Lakes will now turn their attention back to conference play as they will head to Boone, Iowa to take on Des Moines Area Community College who is 9-10 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Follow Iowa Lakes baseball on twitter, @Lakerbaseball, to get live in-game updates and other information regarding Iowa Lakers baseball.