Falcons End Season with Doubleheader Loss to No. 14 Georgia College

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - The University of Montevallo baseball team (22-31-1) closed out the 2009 campaign with a doubleheader loss to future conference rival No. 14 Georgia College and State University (35-13), 20-2 and 19-5. The Falcons had five players with multiple hits on the day including freshman Duston Daugherty (Hoover, Ala./Hoover) who had three hits to lead the team. Juniors Chris Sosebee (Warrior, Ala./Jefferson State C.C.) and Nelson Garcia, Jr. (Tampa, Fla./Sickles) led the team with two RBI each.

Daugherty, freshman Brett Roney (Wetumpka, Ala./Wetumpka) and sophomore Joe Prokop (Clanton, Ala./Chilton County) led the way in game one each picking up a pair of hits. Freshman Joe Handley (Hueytown, Ala./Hueytown) and Garcia, Jr. each had an RBI.

On the mound junior John Michael Caraway (Trussville, Ala./Gadsden State C.C.) took home the loss as he started the game and pitched the first 4.1 innings. He struck out seven while walking just three. Freshman Mitch Holcombe (Oak Grove, Ala./Oak Grove) took over for the next two thirds of an innings with three hits given up. Junior Heath Tapscott (Hartselle, Ala./UAB) took the next third of an inning with four walks. The final pitcher for the Falcons was junior Michael Fields (Belleville, Ill./Southwestern Illinois C.C.) who pitched the final 2.2 innings with three strikeouts.

In game two five Falcons got hits with Sosebee and Garcia, Jr. each picking up doubles. Sosebee also drove in two runs while three others had one RBI each.

On the mound freshman Wes Rich (Pelham, Ala./Pelham) got the start and the loss as he went the first 3.0 innings. He walked four without a strikeout. Junior Justin Aaron (Morris, Ala./Jefferson State C.C.) took over and pitched the final 3.0 innings with five strikeouts and no walks.

In game one the Falcons kept it close over the first few innings as the Bobcats scored two in the third and a run in the fourth and fifth to take a 4-0 lead. The Falcons cut that lead to two in the sixth as Roney, Prokop, Handley and Garcia, Jr. all singled to score two runs. The Bobcats responded with a huge bottom half of the inning as they scored 12 runs off of seven hits and three Montevallo errors.

GCSU tacked on four more in the seventh to take home a 20-2 victory.

It looked promising in the second game early for the Falcons as they scored four runs in the very first inning off well placed bunts and a pair of walks. The Bobcats matched the Falcons runs in the bottom half and never looked back as they scored in the next four innings. They plated two in the second and one in the third before exploding in the fourth for another 12-run inning.

The Falcons scored one more run in the fifth as Sosebee doubled down the left field line. 

The Falcons close out their 2009 season with high hopes for 2010. They will enter a new conference and return a strong group of seniors who will look to improve off their final season in the Gulf South Conference.