No. 15 Delta State Tops Falcons, 9-3

MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The University of Montevallo baseball team (12-31) dropped a single game at home to 15^th-ranked Delta State University (30-10-1), 9-3. UM senior Chris Sosebee (Warrior, Ala./Sumiton Christian) continued his strong play as he went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run scored. He has now pushed his batting average from .350 to .391 in just 11 days. He entered the Augusta State series on April 2 with a .350 batting average and after going 18-of-33 in his last nine games he has now moved his average up 41 points.

Senior Nelson Garcia, Jr. (Tampa, Fla./Sickles) also had a strong game as he went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly RBI. Freshman Austin Dubberly (Helena, Ala./Pelham) and junior Josh Dabbs (Hueytown, Ala./Hueytown) picked up the other two RBI in the game.

Senior Caleb McLeod (Pleasant Grove, Ala./Pleasant Grove) got the start on the mound as he went 3.0 innings while striking out one and walking three. He took home the loss as his record fell to 0-2. Two Falcons made their pitching debut after an injury sidelined sophomore Brett Roney (Wetumpka, Ala./Wetumpka) in the middle of the seventh inning. Dubberly moved from third base to the pitchers mound and faced three batters giving up a trio of walks. Junior Scottie Deason (Hoover, Ala./Spain Park) was then asked to take over and faced four batters while striking out two and walking one.

Roney pitched 3.1 innings before leaving the game and struck out two while walking a pair. The final UM pitcher was senior Kyle Johanson (Bowman, Ga./Elbert County) who went 2.0 innings while striking out four and walking four.

UM fell behind early as Delta State put up four runs in the second inning. The Statesmen used three hits and two walks to plate four runs in the inning. UM held them scoreless for the next four innings and answered with a single run in the fifth. Deason singled and then was brought home by an RBI double from Dubberly.

In the seventh the Statesmen took advantage of the Roney injury and used just one hit to score four runs as the Falcons walked five batters and hit another.

The Statesmen tacked on another run in the eighth as they used a pair of hits to plate their lone run.

UM scored a pair in the bottom of the eighth as senior Kevin Garcia (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Dunedin) and Sosebee had back-to-back singles to make it first and third with just one out. Dabbs then drove home Garcia on an error by the second baseman and Sosebee moved to third. Garcia, Jr. then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Sosebee.

The Falcons were unable to score in the ninth as the game ended with the Statesmen winning 9-3.

The Falcons will return to action tomorrow, April 13 at 3 p.m. as they host Delta State in the final game of a two-game series.