MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The University of Montevallo baseball team picked up a pair of wins Saturday and earned the series victory over Walsh, winning 17-7 (8inn) in the first game and 6-1 in the second.
Saturday's doubleheader featured a pair of record-breaking performances, both from the plate and the mound.
In the sixth inning of game one,
Asa Awbrey tripled down the right field line to set the all-time career triples record with his 13
th, breaking the previous record of 12 set by Greg Key.
JJ Pease earned the start on the mound in game two and struck out 12 batters in six innings pitched.
Griffin Lape earned a strikeout out of the pen,
Danny Glenos added three and
Connor Phelan totaled two as the Falcons pitching staff combined for a team-record 18 strikeouts.
Montevallo's bats became hot in the sixth inning of the first game as the squad rattled off ten runs, including a grand slam from
Reed Latimer.
GAME ONE
To open the scoring in the first game of today's doubleheader,
Sam Kuchinski blasted his second home run of the year after
Ben Teel singled to put UM in front, 2-0.
After Walsh scored its first run in the second, Montevallo added three in the bottom of the frame beginning with an RBI bunt from
Matt Simon. An RBI single from Teel scored
Jake O'Connell and a fielder's choice RBI from Kuchinski scored Simon to cap the scoring and give UM a t-1 advantage.
In the top of the fifth, an error scored a pair of Walsh runs as the visitors took a 6-5 lead.
The Montevallo bats broke loose in the top of the sixth, beginning with an RBI single from Teel with the bases loaded. An RBI walk from Kuchinski pushed the lead to eight before
Reed Latimer drilled a grand slam to left center. A
Khalid Collymore ground out plated another run before an infield single from
Wyatt Cunningham scored
Luke Mitchell. Teel earned his second RBI of the inning next up as he drove in
Evan Liddie on a bases-loaded walk. Another RBI walk from Kuchinski pushed UM's lead to 10, 16-6 with the 10
th run of the frame.
Walsh added a run in the seventh to extend the game. In the bottom of the eighth, Kuchinski added his sixth RBI of the game when he singled up to the middle to score Cunningham and conclude the game with Montevallo winning, 17-7.
INFORMATION
Score: No. 12 Montevallo 17, Walsh 7 (8 inn)
Records: Montevallo (7-1) | Walsh (0-1)
Location: Kermit A. Johnson Field | Montevallo, Ala.
Duration: 2:57
GAME NOTES
- Sam Kuchinski finished 3-for-4 from the plate with six RBI, three runs scored, a two-run homer and two walks.
- Reed Latimer added four RBI and was 2-for-4 with a grand slam.
- Ben Teel went 3-for-5 and totaled three RBI with two runs scored and a walk.
- Asa Awbrey broke the school record in career triples with his 13th and finished 3-for-4 from the plate with one run.
- Logan Samuels earned the start and struck out six in three and two-thirds inning pitched. He allowed four runs (three earned), on four hits.
- Zach Toth earned the win out of the bullpen. He pitched two and a third, allowed one hit and fanned one.
- Montevallo plated 17 runs on 17 hits and had six extra-base hits.
GAME TWO
Pitching was dominant for the Falcons in game two.
JJ Pease earned the start on the mound and went six innings and struck out 12 batters – finishing just two shy of the record.
Griffin Lape,
Danny Glenos, and
Connor Phelan combined with Pease to strike out 18 total batters for a new team record.
The bats were still successful at the plate in game two as Montevallo plated six runs on 10 hits.
A solo shot from
Ben Teel opened the scoring in the third before a Kuchinski sacrifice fly added one in the fifth. In the same inning, Latimer singled to score Simon and push UM ahead 4-0.
In the sixth, Simon drove in
Alex Langford on a sacrifice fly.
Awbrey hit a solo homer in the top of the eighth to give Montevallo a 6-1 advantage.
Connor Phelan closed out the win on the mound, striking out two in the ninth.
INFORMATION
Score: No. 12 Montevallo 6, Walsh 1
Records: No. 12 Montevallo (8-1) | Walsh (0-2)
Location: Kermit A. Johnson Field | Montevallo, Ala.
Duration: 2:16
GAME NOTES
- Teel finished 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a homer.
- Asa Awbrey was 1-for-4 with one run scored and a homer.
- Alex Langford and Evan Liddie each added two hits and scored a run.
- JJ Pease went six innings on the mound with 12 k's, just three hits, no runs scored and only three walks. Pease is 2-0 on the year.
- Glenos, Lape and Phelan combined for six strikeouts out of the pen to combine for 18 as a team, setting a new school record.
