Falcons Drop Two against Valdosta State, 14-3 and 11-1

MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The University of Montevallo baseball team (22-26-1, 4-13 GSC East) fell at home to Valdosta State University (33-16, 8-6 GSC East) in a doubleheader, 14-3 and 11-1. The Falcons were led by freshman Duston Daugherty (Hoover, Ala./Hoover) who went 3-for-4 in game one before missing game two. Four other Falcons had two base hits each to trail just behind Daugherty.

Freshman Brett Roney (Wetumpka, Ala./Wetumpka) went 2-for-7 with a runs scored, junior Chris Sosebee (Warrior, Ala./Jefferson State C.C.) was 2-for-7 with a homerun, RBI and a run scored, junior Kevin Garcia (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Gulf Coast C.C.) was 2-for-7 and junior Nelson Garcia, Jr. (Tampa, Fla./Sickles) was 2-for-7 with a run scored. Senior Jeremy Jones (Troy, Ala./Lurleen B. Wallace C.C.) led the team in RBI with two while senior Chase Fowler (Sylacauga, Ala./Central Alabama C.C.) had one RBI and drew three walks.

Juniors Caleb McLeod (Pleasant Grove, Ala./Shelton State C.C.) and John Michael Caraway (Trussville, Ala./Gadsden State C.C.) got the starts for the Falcons on the mound. McLeod went 6.0 innings with four strikeouts and four walks and took home the loss in game one while Caraway went 4.1 innings in game two with three strikeouts and two walks and also took home a loss. Senior Heath Wilson (Boaz, Ala./Boaz) was the lone reliever in game one going the final 3.0 innings with three walks while giving up four hits.

Juniors Michael Fields (Belleville, Ill./Southwestern Illinois C.C.) and Taylor Edwards (Pleasant Grove, Ala./Northwest Shoals C.C.) combined for the relief effort in game two. Fields went 1.2 innings while giving up a hit and Edwards went 1.0 hitless inning.

In game one the Falcons were led by Daugherty who picked up all three of his hits in the game. The Blazers struck first as they scored one run in the first and then seven in the third to take a commanding 8-0 lead. They tacked on one more run in the top of the fifth before the Falcons were able to plate their first run.

Down 9-0 in the bottom of the fifth the Falcons scored their first run of the game as Fowler walked and was then driven home by a Jones RBI double down the left field line.

The Blazers struck again in the sixth to go up 10-1. The Falcons posted another run in the seventh as Roney singled up the middle and then was moved to second on a groundout. He then took third on a wild pitch and was driven home by a RBI groundout by Jones.

After the Blazers scored four more runs the Falcons plated their final run of the contest in the ninth as Garcia, Jr. repeated the same process as Roney and was driven home by an RBI groundout from Fowler.

In game two it was all Blazers as they scored seven runs before the Falcons scored their lone run in the fourth as Sosebee hit a solo homerun to left field. The Blazers added four more runs and won 11-1.

The Falcons will return to action tomorrow, April 19 at 12:00 p.m. as they host Valdosta State University in their final Gulf South Conference game of the season. The Falcons will honor their six seniors prior to the game as well.