MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The No. 7 University of Montevallo baseball team defeated Spring Hill 18-8, Wednesday, at Kermit A. Johnson Field and Bob Riesener Stadium, as the Falcons posted its highest run total of the season.
In a game that featured 26 total runs scored, the Falcons fell behind 5-0 following a four-spot in the third inning and a solo homer from the Badgers in the fifth.
After opening the mid-week contest with four scoreless frames, Montevallo answered Spring Hill's 5-0 scoring spurt with a five spot in the bottom of the fifth to even the score, 5-5. The scoring onslaught began when a two-RBI single from
Alex Langford scored
Luke Mitchell and
Barry Eiseman. With two on,
Sam Kuchinski stepped to the plate and delivered a two-out, three-run bomb to tie the score, 5-5.
Spring Hill answered UM with three runs in the top of the sixth to go back in front, 8-5. Once again, UM responded from the deficit and added four runs in the bottom of the sixth – picking up right where they left off from the fifth frame. It began with an
Evan Liddie single that scored Mitchell. Next, Eiseman scored on a passed ball to make it 8-7. A bases-loaded walk from Kuchinksi tied the game, 8-8 before a wild pitch scored Langford to give UM the lead back, 9-8.
Baserunning added two more for the Falcons in the bottom of the seventh as
Jake Smallwood scored on a passed ball and
Wyatt Cunningham scored on a wild pitch to put the Falcons ahead 11-8.
Griffin Lape entered out of the bullpen in the top of the eighth and struck out two Badgers to help hold UM's three-run lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, the bats broke loose.
Reed Latimer opened the frame with a double before
Asa Awbrey delivered his 14
th career triple to right center, driving in Latimer. Mitchell notched his fifth homer of the year, next, to put UM on top 14-8. An error by the Spring Hill first baseman in a bases-loaded situation allowed
Khalid Collymore and Liddie to score, pushing Montevallo's advantage to eight, 16-8. To finish the game,
Will Pratt delivered a pinch-hit two-RBI single to score Will LaFollett and
Wyatt Cunningham to give UM a 10-run lead, 18-8.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 18 | Spring Hill 8
Records: No. 7 Montevallo 18-4 | Spring Hill 10-10
Location: Kermit A. Johnson Field at Bob Riesener Stadium
GAME NOTES
- The 18 runs scored by UM in Wednesday's win is a season-high.
- UM scored 18 runs on 14 hits while Spring Hill notched nine hits and scored eight runs.
- Zach Toth faced three batters in his two-thirds innings pitched and recorded one strikeout with no runs allowed. He earned the win and improved to 5-1 on the year.
- Montevallo managed just one baserunner in the first four frames before scoring five runs in the fifth.
- Sam Kuchinski led UM with four RBI from the plate as he finished 2-for-4 and walked twice.
- Reed Latimer and Luke Mitchell each finished 3-for-5 while Mitchell added a pair of RBI with his fifth homer of the year.
- Griffin Lape pitched a clean inning in the eighth to set UM up for the 10-run rule walk-off and struck out two batters.
UP NEXT: Montevallo will travel to AUM for non-conference action on Saturday, Mar. 18 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.