MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The University of Montevallo baseball team fell to visiting University of North Alabama 9-5 in a non-conference game March 11 at Kermit A. Johnson Field.
The setback snapped the Falcons' 15-game winning streak against in-state opponents and ended a 17-0 unbeaten stretch in midweek games outside of a weekend series.
Junior Matthew Haskins led Montevallo, ranked No. 17 in the latest College Baseball Lineup NCAA Division II poll, offensively as he finished 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in one run.
Sophomore Vinny Rodriguez finished 2-for-5 at the plate and drove in one run for the Falcons, who fell to 15-8 overall on the season. Senior Will Fulmer went 2-for-5 at the plate and scored one run.
Sophomore Chase Bryant, who drove in one run and scored one run, went 1-for-4 at the plate. Junior Zack Willoughby finished 1-for-3 at the plate and scored one run. Sophomore Brandon Marshall went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double and scored one run.
Senior Jackson Slaid finished 1-for-5 at the plate and scored one run. Freshman Jacob Whiting also scored one run.
Freshman Dustin Cowart, the reigning Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Week, was tagged with his first loss after allowing four runs, including two earned runs, on five hits with one strikeout and two walks in three innings on the mound. Cowart fell to 3-1 on the mound this season.
Freshman Tanner Koch allowed two earned runs on two hits with three strikeouts in two innings, while junior reliever Jeremy Bagnall gave up three earned runs on two hits with one strikeout and one walk in two innings.
Freshman Joey Hume, who issued one walk, and sophomore Jake Christensen, who recorded one strikeout, each allowed one hit in one inning in relief.
North Alabama took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, which included a three-run homer by the Lions' Kyle Conkle. Conkle, who drove in six runs and scored three runs, finished 4-for-4 at the plate with a pair of homers.
A two-run shot by Conkle in the fourth inning extended the Lions' lead to 6-0.
The Falcons plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth to trim the deficit to 6-3. Willoughby scored on a balk by North Alabama starter Kyle Stephenson before Bryant and Haskins provided back-to-back RBI singles.
Montevallo added one run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a RBI single by Rodriguez before Haskins scored the Falcons' final run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a RBI groundout by Slaid.
The Falcons will return to action this weekend with a three-game Peach Belt Conference series on the road at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga.
First pitch in the series opener Friday, March 14 is set for 6 p.m. EST/5 p.m. CST.
