Falcons Win Night Cap to Split Doubleheader with No. 16 Delta State

CLEVELAND, Miss. - The University of Montevallo baseball team (5-3) had to come from behind and score three runs in the top of the seventh to take the night cap of a doubleheader with Delta State University (3-3), 5-4. The Statesmen won the opening game 19-11. The Falcons were led by senior Ryan Norman (Hoover, Ala./Hoover) and junior Kevin Garcia (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Gulf Coast C.C.) who each picked up four RBIs and three hits on the day.

Norman was 3-for-3 with a run scored, homerun and four RBIs while Garcia was 3-for-5 with a run scored, two stolen bases and four RBIs. Junior Nelson Garcia, Jr. (Tampa, Fla./Sickles) was 3-of-5 with two runs scored, a stolen base and two RBIs. Other top performers included junior Chris Sosebee (Warrior, Ala./Jefferson State C.C.), senior Jeremy Jones (Troy, Ala./Lurleen B. Wallace C.C.) and freshman Duston Daugherty (Hoover, Ala./Hoover).

Sosebee was 2-for-5 with a homerun, three walks, two runs scored and an RBI. Jones went 2-of-8 with a homerun, two runs scored and three RBIs while Daugherty led the team with three stolen bases and scored twice.

On the mound junior Caleb McLeod (Pleasant Grove, Ala./Shelton State C.C.) picked up his first victory of the season after pitching 1.0 shutout inning. Senior Brandon Aldridge (Vestavia, Ala./Vestavia Hills) pitched three scoreless innings while giving up just two hits. Junior Taylor Edwards (Pleasant Grove, Ala./Northwest Shoals C.C.) started game two going 3.0 innings with three strikeouts while freshman Mitch Holcombe (Oak Grove, Ala./Oak Grove) started game one going 2.0 innings and striking out three.

In the second game of the doubleheader the Falcons fell behind early as the Statesmen scored four runs in the bottom of the third. The Falcons responded with two runs in the top of the fourth as Daugherty and freshman Brett Roney (Wetumpka, Ala./Wetumpka) had back-to-back doubles followed by a ground out RBI to cut the lead to 4-2.

The two teams went scoreless until the top of the seventh. The Falcons opened up with a quick out but then Garcia, Jr. reached on a hit by pitch. Jones singled to right field to move Garcia, Jr. to second. Norman then singled up the middle to score Garcia, Jr. and move Jones to second. Both advanced on a wild pitch which made the tying run just 90 feet away for the Falcons. The Falcons then committed another out to make it one out away from a Statesmen's victory. Garcia stepped in and singled to right field to score both Jones and Norman and make the game 5-4.

The Falcons shut down the Statesmen in the bottom half to win 5-4.

In the opening game the Falcons stormed out top a 9-0 lead before the Statesmen began a dramatic comeback that saw them score 19 runs in just five innings.

The Falcons first inning featured two three run homeruns by Jones and Norman as they scored eight runs off of five hits and an error. Sosebee led off the second with a solo homerun to make the score 9-0 but the Statesmen scored 10 runs over the next two innings to evaporate the Falcons lead. They then poured on nine more runs over the final three innings to secure the victory.

The Falcons will be back in action Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 3:00 p.m. as they travel to No. 12 Delta State University.