MONTEVALLO, Ala. – University of Montevallo junior Steven Knudson homered for the 18th time this season, but Columbus State broke open a tight game with seven runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure a 14-5 win over the Falcons in the first game of their final home Peach Belt Conference series of the season April 10 at Kermit A. Johnson Field.
The Cougars' seven runs in the top of the eighth inning turned a 7-5 lead into a comfortable nine-run victory in the series opener.
Senior Matthew Haskins led the Falcons (18-19 overall, 10-12 in Peach Belt Conference) offensively as he finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles. Haskins drove in one run and scored one run.
Knudson, who drove in three runs and scored one run, went 1-for-4 at the plate with a homer. Knudson's 18th blast on the season puts him one homer behind the NCAA Division II national leaders Collins Cuthrell of UNC Pembroke and Will Albertson of Catawba.
Sophomore Dane Hutcheon finished 1-for-4 at the plate with a double and scored two runs. Senior Vinny Rodriguez went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double and scored one run. Sophomore Alex Jones also finished 1-for-4 at the plate with a double as six of the seven hits recorded by the Falcons went for extra bases.
Junior Cody Hughes (2-3) was tagged with the loss in his 10th start of the season after allowing seven runs, including four earned runs, on nine hits with four strikeouts and five walks in seven innings on the mound.
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before Knudson's three-run shot in the bottom half of the frame put the Falcons on top early. Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch later in the frame to give Montevallo a 4-2 lead after one inning.
Columbus State trimmed the Falcons' lead to 4-3 with one run in the top of the second inning before a two-run single by Brendan Collins in the top of the fourth inning gave the Cougars the lead for good.
The Falcons plated their final run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a RBI single by Haskins, which temporarily trimmed the deficit to 7-5 before Columbus State scored seven runs in the top of the eighth inning.
First pitch in the second game of the series is set for Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m.
The Falcons will honor six seniors before the game, including Cody White, Zack Willoughby, Matthew Haskins, Alec Stiver, Jeremy Bagnall and Vinny Rodriguez.
