UM Sweeps Doubleheader against Kentucky Wesleyan

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The University of Montevallo baseball team (9-4-1) used late inning explosions to defeat Kentucky Wesleyan College (0-6), 14-5 and 6-2. Junior John Michael Caraway (Trussville, Ala./Gadsden State C.C.) picked up both wins after coming in for relief in both games. He pitched a total of 3.2 shutout innings while striking out two. The two wins improve his record to 2-0 on the season.

In game one the Falcons were led by freshman Duston Daugherty (Hoover, Ala./Hoover) who went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBI. Senior Ryan Norman (Hoover, Ala./Hoover) was 2-for-2 with three RBI while junior Cory Luckie (Fairhope, Ala./Bevill State C.C.) was 1-of-2 with a double and three RBI. Freshman Josh Headley (Gardendale, Ala./Gardendale) was also 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

In game two it was junior Kevin Garcia (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Gulf Coast C.C.) who led the way going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Luckie went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored while junior Andy Revell (Albertville, Ala./Snead State C.C.) was 1-for-3 with a homerun and an RBI. Norman also hit a long ball as he picked up an RBI and scored twice in the game.

The Falcons scored in every inning in game one as they battled back-and-forth with the Panthers until the sixth inning. The two teams traded runs for the first five innings entering the sixth with UM in the lead 5-4.

The Panthers scored a run in the top half to tie the game at five but then the Falcons took over as they put nine runs on the board and everyone in the line-up crossed home plate.

Senior Jeremy Jones (Troy, Ala./Lurleen B. Wallace C.C.) led off the inning with a single and was followed by Daugherty who laid down a bunt single. Freshman Brett Roney (Wetumpka, Ala./Wetumpka) followed with the same approach reaching on a well placed bunt. That caused KWC head coach Todd Lillpop to make a change bringing in Nick Crady to pitch.

Crady got off to a very rough start as he three of the first four batters he faced and walked the other leading to four runs. That would end Crady's night as Nick Knight entered to try and clean-up the damage. Luckie was the first batter he faced and the Falcon right fielder sent a double to left field that cleared the bases making it 12-5. Senior Dustin Rhodes (Starkville, Miss./Starkville) then singled up the middle to score Luckie. Two batters later Daugherty hit a sacrifice fly to right field to end the Falcons scoring, 14-5.

Caraway shut down the side in the top of the seventh to take the victory. Senior Brandon Aldridge (Vestavia Hills, Ala./Vestavia Hills) got the start going 5.0 innings with a strikeout and just two earned runs given up.

In game two the Falcons jumped on top in the bottom of the first as Revell hit a solo homerun over the left centerfield fence. They would add another run in the fourth as Norman hit a lead-off homerun to dead center field.

The Falcons led 2-0 heading into the sixth inning but the Panthers were able to score a pair of runs off of just one hit in the sixth to tie the game. The bottom half of that very same inning the Falcons would respond.

Norman and junior Chris Sosebee (Warrior, Ala./Jefferson State C.C.) led of the inning with back-to-back walks. Garcia then reached on a bunt single to make it bases loaded with no one out. Luckie then walked to pick up an RBI and kept the bases loaded. Kyle Dickey then entered on the mound for KWC and proceeded to allow both Sosebee and Garcia to score on wild pitches. Jones then laid down a sacrifice squeeze bunt to score Luckie and make the score 6-2. That would be all the Falcons needed as once again Caraway shut down the Panthers offense in the top of the seventh.

Junior Taylor Edwards (Pleasant Grove, Ala./Northwest Shoals C.C.) pitched up another quality start as he went 5.0 innings while giving up just one run and striking out five.

The Falcons will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 22 at 12:00 p.m. as they take on Kentucky Wesleyan in another doubleheader.