ROME, Ga. – University of Montevallo junior Steven Knudson homered in the Falcons' 6-5 setback on the road at Shorter University in a non-conference game March 25, giving him homers in back-to-back games and pushing his total to 14 on the season.

Knudson, who is ranked second nationally among NCAA Division II hitters in home runs with his 14 blasts, led the Falcons (14-13) offensively as he finished 2-for-5 at the plate with a homer and a double. Knudson drove in two runs and scored two runs.

Junior Jeremy Hyde, who drove in two runs and scored one run, went 1-for-3 at the plate with his second home run this season.

Senior Matthew Haskins and sophomore Jacob Whiting each finished 1-for-3 at the plate. Senior Vinny Rodriguez and sophomores Dane Hutcheon and Alex Jones each went 1-for-4 at the plate, with Rodriguez scoring two runs and Hutcheon driving in one run.

Freshman Drew Mullinax (1-2) took the loss on the mound after allowing six earned runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts in five innings in his second start of the season.

The Hawks plated five runs in the bottom of the second inning to jump out to an early 5-0 lead. Shorter added one run in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 6-0.

The Falcons cut the Hawks' lead in half with three runs in the top of the sixth inning, with Knudson blasting a two-run homer and Hyde providing a solo shot back-to-back in the frame.

Montevallo scored its final two runs in the top of the eighth inning to trim the deficit to 6-5. Rodriguez, who led off the frame with a single, scored on a RBI groundout by Hyde and Hutcheon plated Knudson, who had a double in the inning, with a RBI single.

The Falcons will return to action this weekend with a Peach Belt Conference series against USC Aiken at Kermit A. Johnson Field.

First pitch in the series opener Saturday, March 28 is set for 1 p.m.