DAHLONEGA, Ga. – University of Montevallo senior Vinny Rodriguez extended his school-record hitting streak to 28 games and junior Steven Knudson inched closer to the program-record for home runs in a season with a pair of blasts April 25 as the Falcons split a doubleheader against nationally-ranked University of North Georgia in the first two games of their final Peach Belt Conference series of the season.
The Falcons dropped the series opener 5-4 in 10 innings before rallying with a 9-4 victory in the nightcap over the Nighthawks, who are ranked No. 18 nationally in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II poll. Montevallo (21-25 overall, 12-16 in Peach Belt Conference) will try to clinch the series in its final game of the regular season Sunday, April 26.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Eastern/12 p.m. Central.
Knudson, who is ranked in the top five nationally among NCAA Division II hitters with 23 home runs, is just two shy of the Falcons' single-season record of 25 blasts after belting a homer in each game against North Georgia. Knudson, who drove in three runs and scored two runs, finished 1-for-3 at the plate in the Falcons' victory in the nightcap.
Rodriguez managed to keep his program-record hitting streak alive with a single in the top of the seventh inning in the nightcap, which pushed his streak to 28 games. Rodriguez, who drove in one run and scored one run, went 1-for-5 at the plate in the win.
Freshman Collin Dupree, who drove in three runs and scored one run, led Montevallo offensively in the nightcap as he finished 2-for-5 at the plate. Junior Thomas Bradey, who drove in one run and scored one run, went 2-for-5 at the plate. Sophomore Jacob Whiting went 2-for-5 at the plate and drove in one run.
Freshman Chad Wagner, who drove in two runs and scored one run, went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double. Junior Chase Bryant finished 1-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs. Senior Matthew Haskins went 1-for-4 at the plate, while fellow senior Cody White finished 1-for-5 at the plate with a double and scored one run.
Junior starter Landon Smith (2-5) picked up the win after allowing four earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and five walks in seven innings on the mound.
Junior Taylor Burr allowed just one hit and registered one strikeout in two innings in relief.
North Georgia took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in the nightcap. Joey Cecere led off the frame with an infield single before scoring on a fielder's choice RBI by Tomlinson. Tomlinson came around to score on a two-run blast by Bo Edwards later in the inning.
The Falcons plated two runs in the top of the third inning to trim the deficit to 3-2. White, who reached on a fielder's choice, and Bryant, who reached on a walk, both came around to score on a two-run double down the left field line by Wagner.
Montevallo tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth inning when the Nighthawks issued a bases-loaded walk with Knudson in the batter's box, which plated Bryant, who led off the inning with a single to center field.
The Nighthawks took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Krupp singled to center field with two outs and came around to score on a bases-loaded walk issued to Hoover later in the frame.
The Falcons scored four runs to take a 7-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning, which saw Rodriguez extend his school-record hitting streak to 28 games. Knudson, who reached on a walk, scored the first run in the frame on a RBI single to center field by Bradey. Rodriguez, who singled to right field in the frame, and Bradey scored on a two-run single by Dupree. Dupree, who advanced two bases on an error by the Nighthawks, came around to score on a RBI single by Whiting.
Montevallo extended its lead to 9-4 in the top of the eighth inning when Wagner reached on a walk and Knudson blasted a two-run bomb, his 23rd homer of the season.
Junior Cody Hughes pitched a gem in the series opener, allowing just one earned run on eight hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts and three walks in 6 2/3 innings on the mound.
Junior Aron McRee (1-2) took the loss in relief after allowing four runs, including two earned runs, on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks in three innings.
The Nighthawks secured a 5-4 walk-off victory in the series opener when Connor Hoover and Ryan Tomita scored on a two-run double by Kevin Krupp in the bottom of the 10th inning, capping a back-and-forth affair in the first game of the doubleheader.
Montevallo scored the first three runs in the game and took a 3-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Dupree, who led off the frame with a single to right field, scored on a RBI single by sophomore Dane Hutcheon. Hutcheon came around to score on a RBI double by Knudson before Haskins, who singled to right field in the inning, scored on a RBI groundout by Rodriguez.
North Georgia plated one run in each of the next three innings to tie the game at 3-3. Steven Tomlinson, who singled to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning, scored on a RBI single by Sam Tidaback in the frame. Devin Gearhart, who reached on a walk in the bottom of the eighth inning, scored on a RBI single by Hoover in the frame. Trevor Sams tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with a RBI single to plate Krupp, who entered the game as a pinch runner after Tidaback led off the frame with a single.
Knudson belted a solo homer to left field with two outs in the top of the 10th inning to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead. The Nighthawks answered in the bottom half of the inning when Hoover reached on an error by the Falcons and Tomita reached on a fielder's choice before both came around to score on the game-winning double by Krupp.
Knudson led Montevallo offensively as he finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run and a double. Knudson drove in two runs and scored one run.
Wagner also went 2-for-4 at the plate. Bryant finished 1-for-3 at the plate. Hutcheon, who drove in one run and scored one run, finished 1-for-4 at the plate. Dupree went 1-for-4 at the plate and scored one run.
Rodriguez went 1-for-5 at the plate and drove in one run, while Haskins finished 1-for-5 at the plate and scored one run.
