JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The University of Montevallo baseball team advances to the second round of the 2025 Gulf South Conference Tournament with their 7-6 win over the No. 1-Seeded Delta State Statesmen on Sunday, May 4. With the win, the Falcons will take on the fifth-seeded West Alabama Tigers at 7:00 p.m. CT at Choccolocco Park.
 
In the battle of two First-Team All-GSC pitchers, Montevallo's Adiel Melendez and Delta State's Drake Fontenot would match up for the second time this season. The Falcons got one base runner on in the first as Connor Crowson was hit by a pitch. Melendez retired the Statesmen in order with a line out, a fly out and his first strikeout of the afternoon.
 
The Falcons took the lead and struck with two outs as Ian Cartwright got the rally started with a two-out infield single. Cartwright stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a Mitchell Walker walk, Ethan Huddleston came through for UM with a single up the middle by the diving shortstop. Jacob Pearl singled to the second baseman a batter later, but Walker was nailed at home trying to score on the play.
 
Delta State had their first two batters reach on a single and a hit by pitch. Melendez induced a fly ball to center and then punched out the final two batters of the inning to escape the second inning jam.
 
McGwire Turner lead off the third reaching on a throwing error on the Delta State catcher, then advanced to second as Connor Crowson was walked. Evan Radford launched a ball over the left field wall and into the trees for his 13^th homer of the season. Radford did a great job of adjusting to the slider of Drake Fontenot as Fontenot got the best of Radford with that pitch earlier in the season.
 
As good teams always do, Delta State responded with two runs in the bottom of the third. With two outs, the Statesmen picked up their first run on a single up the middle. A batter later, DSU drove home the run from first on a triple to right.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth, Melendez struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning.
 
Ethan Huddleston earned his second RBI of the game with another two out base knock to score Ian Cartwright. Melendez fired a shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth as he induced weak contact with a pop up, a fielder's choice ground out and his sixth strikeout of the game.
 
The game would be delayed for about an hour due to heavy fog over the field.
 
The Falcons would scratch across another with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Evan Radford who brought home McGwire Turner. Melendez remained in the game and only allowed one base runner in the sixth. He struck out two more in the inning. Ian Cartwright led off the seventh with a walk and came all the way around to score from first with a triple from Ethan Huddleston.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the game saw it's second delay of the game due to fog. This knocked Adiel Melendez out of the game. When the game restarted, Logan Medsker took the mound for the Falcons where he recorded the final outs of the seventh. With first and third, one out, Delta State hit a ball to Evan Radford in right. After the catch, he threw a dart to home plate where Luke Mitchell tagged the runner breaking form third to end in the inning.
 
The Statesman pushed across a run in the eighth with an RBI ground out to second. The run would be unearned due to an error.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, the Falcons recorded the first two outs of the inning with a line out and Logan Medsker's second strikeout of his outing. After a hit by a pitch and a walk, the game would be delayed again by fog. This delay would suspend the game, as both teams would finish the game at noon today.
 
With the Falcons just needing one out, DSU single up the middle to score two. Clinging to the one-run lead, Montevallo called upon Matthew Bullard who recorded the final out for the first save of his career.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 8 Montevallo 7 | No. 1 Delta State 6
Records: Montevallo 26-23 (16-17 GSC) | Delta State 32-17 (23-10 GSC)
Location: Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium (Jacksonville, AL)
 
GAME NOTES

• This is the first time since 2016 where the Falcons have won their first game of the conference tournament.
• Adiel Melendez picked up his ninth win of the season as he went 6.1 innings, allowed six hits, two earned runs and he struck out eighth. This is his fifth outing of the season where he's struck out eight or more.
• Matthew Bullard picked up his first career save.
• Evan Radford his 13^th Homer of the season. He drove in four RBI in the game
• Ethan Huddleston drove in three RBI. Additionally, he had three hits to lead the team.
• Ian Cartwright was on base four times with two hits and two walks.
• McGwire Turner had a multi-hit game as well as scoring two runs.
• Logan Medsker was great in relief after the fog delay as he went 2.1 innings, allowed no earned runs and struck out two.
• There were three fog delays in the game.

 
ON DECK
The Falcons will turn around and take on the West Alabama Tigers in the 1-0 game at 7:00 p.m. CT at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.