Trailblazers fall in opening game of MWAC Conference Tournament

NORMAL, Ill. – The Vincennes University Trailblazers face an uphill battle the rest of the weekend after falling in the first game of the Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) Tournament Wednesday morning in Normal.

The fifth-seeded Blazers fell to No. 4-seed Danville Area 6-3 in a back-and-forth battle.

The Jaguars got on the board early to begin the conference tournament, striking big in the first with a two-out three-run home run to take the lead.

Vincennes would battle back in the fourth after VU led off the inning with three straight singles by sophomores Peyton Lane (New Paris, Ohio), Connor VanLannen (Clinton, Ind.) and an RBI single by Dale Coy (Evansville, Ind.).

Coy would score later in the inning on a fielding error and freshman Will Egger (Terre Haute, Ind.) would drive in the tying run on a sacrifice fly as Vincennes evened the game at 3-3.

Danville Area answered back immediately with a three-run inning of their own in the bottom of the fourth to grab the lead back at 6-3.

VU struggled to get base runners for the remainder of the game, as the Blazers only got four men on base in the final five innings, including two hits, a walk and a fielder's choice.

The Vincennes bullpen held the Danville batters equally in check, but VU was unable to close the gap as Danville Area held on to grab the 6-3 opening round win.

The Trailblazers had a pair of multi-hit games on the day, starting with leadoff hitter, freshman Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.) and Dale Coy who each ended with a pair of singles.

Freshman outfielder Kaden Elliott (New Albany, Ind.) reached base in three of his four plate appearances on the day, drawing a walk, being hit by a pitch and reaching on a fielder's choice in the game. Elliott also scored a run in the fourth inning.

"The middle and lower part of our order did a good job at the plate today," VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. "Ethan got on twice. Our two, three and four hole batters have to step up in key situations. We got three hits in the fourth that really got us going, but overall those guys have to continue to do what they've done for us all year. They have usually carried us and today it just wasn't there for us."

Connor VanLannen got the start in game one of the MWAC Conference tournament and allowed six runs on six hits in three and two-thirds innings. VanLannen also struck out three Jaguar batters.

Sophomore Braedon Nichols (Sullivan, Ind.) got the call as the first man out of the bullpen, throwing three and a third innings of shutout baseball, allowing only one hit and striking out three.

Freshman Caleb Moore (Wentzville, Mo.) entered the game to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning and threw a clean inning with one strikeout.

"We got some quality pitching today out of the bullpen from Nichols and Moore," Barney said. "Connor struggled in the first inning and gave up three runs with two outs after getting the first two batters of the game out."

"We jumped back into it and tie the game and then he gives up another three runs," Barney added. "Our hats are off to the guys that have battled. Obviously, Danville's pitcher did a nice job, but we had Dale Coy with an RBI, a sac fly RBI by Will Egger and we scored on a misplay by Danville. We battled today and now we have to find a way to dig ourselves out of it and we'll see what happens Thursday night."

The Trailblazers will fall into the Elimination Bracket in the double-elimination tournament and will take the field next tomorrow, May 19 with first pitch set for 8 p.m. eastern. VU's opponent has still yet to be determined.

"We've got Harbuck starting on the mound tomorrow and then we get to face somebody else's third starter because the team we are going to play will have to play two games before they get to us," Barney said. "It's a little bonus that comes with being the fourth or fifth seed. I feel good about whoever it is that we are going to play tomorrow and with that situation on the mound, I feel good about where we are going to be going into that game with where our bullpen is at and Harbuck on the mound. Our hitters just have to step up and do a good job at the plate for us."

BOX SCORE

VU (25-31, 15-18) – 000   300   000 – 3

Danville Area – 300   300   00x – 6

VINCENNES HITTING

RBI – Coy, Sizemore, Egger. HBP – Elliott. SF – Egger.