MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The University of Montevallo baseball team fell to visiting Young Harris 12-6 in the final game of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series March 2 at Kermit A. Johnson Field, keeping the nationally-ranked Falcons from recording their first series sweep of the season.
The Mountain Lions jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Montevallo, ranked No. 20 in the latest College Baseball Lineup NCAA Division II poll, rallied with five unanswered runs to take a 5-4 lead. However, Young Harris plated four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
Sophomore Brandon Marshall led the Falcons (12-6 overall, 5-4 in Peach Belt Conference) offensively as he finished 3-for-5 at the plate and drove in one run.
Senior Will Fulmer went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in one run. Freshman Dane Hutcheon finished 2-for-5 at the plate and scored one run.
Sophomore Chase Bryant, who drove in three runs and scored one run, went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double. Sophomore Michael Simmons finished 1-for-5 at the plate and scored two runs.
Juniors Zack Willoughby and Matthew Haskins scored one run each. Senior Jackson Slaid drove in one run.
Freshman starter Alex Pondick suffered his first loss of the season after allowing eight earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and five walks in 4 1/3 innings on the mound.
Junior Jeremy Bagnall allowed three runs, including one earned run, on three hits with one strikeout in four innings in relief before freshman Joey Hume allowed one unearned run and issued one walk in 2/3 of an inning.
A two-run homer by Trey Rogers gave Young Harris an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before the Mountain Lions extended their lead to 4-0 with two runs in the second inning.
A RBI groundout by Bryant and a RBI sacrifice fly by Slaid in the bottom of the third inning trimmed the deficit to 4-2. One inning later, a two-run double by Bryant and an RBI single by Fulmer gave the Falcons a 5-4 lead.
The Mountain Lions took the lead for good on a two-run homer by Adam Moore and a two-run double by Bowen Klosinski in the top of the fifth inning.
An RBI single by Marshall in the sixth inning plated the final run for the Falcons.
The Falcons will return to action Wednesday, March 5 with a non-conference contest against UAH.
First pitch at Kermit A. Johnson Field is set for 5 p.m.
