A quick look at the box score and Matt Beyer’s 1 for 2 day at the plate looks a bit pedestrian. The junior leftfielder was anything but pedestrian, especially in a low scoring pitcher’s duel.
Trailing 2-1 in the UWW fourth inning Beyer delivered a two-out single – stole second base – and scored on Dylan Friend’s infield single to tie the game at 2-all. The play showed incredible hustle with Friend sliding head-first ahead of the throw and Beyer scoring from 2nd base on the infield single.
The Janesville native wasn’t done. Jeff Donovan led off the Whitewater sixth inning with a double. Brent Young’s sacrifice bunt moved Donovan to 3rd base. Jared Fon walked. With the go-ahead run at third base, Beyer put together what proved to be the game-winning swing by launching a sacrifice fly to allow Donovan to glide home to put UWW on top – 3-2.
Taking to seniors Rob Coe, Riley Tincher and Jeff Donovan on Tuesday the one thing that all three indicated was that to be successful this week Hawks throughout the batting order needed to “step up and make a play” when called upon.
Beyer nearly made a “sports center” kind of play on the 4th inning home run hit by Tayler Rahm to give the Tommies a 2-1 lead.
The UWW leftfielder climbed the Prucha Field fence and nearly got his glove on the ball (see adjacent photo courtesy of Josh Smith, Daily Jefferson County Union.)
While the story of the Hawks’ 3-2 win on Wednesday was pitching, it was players like Matt Beyer who executed in key moments to help send Whitewater to second round action in the winner’s bracket.
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