Trailblazers fall in Conference doubleheader series finale at Lincoln Land

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team returned to the field Sunday afternoon for the final two games of their four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series at Lincoln Land Community College.

The Blazers fought hard but came away on the wrong side of a 7-6 final score in game one before dropping game two 16-5 to the Loggers.

Vincennes opened the day on a hot start, with the first three VU batters reaching base safely with a leadoff walk by sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.), followed by a single by freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.) and a fielding error which allowed Douglas to score the first run of the game.

Andrews would come in to score after a pair of stolen bases on an RBI single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) to give the Blazers an early 2-0 lead.

Lincoln Land would answer back with a run in the third and a run in the fifth to even the score at 2-2 before the Blazers regained the lead with a big four-run sixth inning.

Nate Montgomery opened the inning with a walk, which was immediately followed by a big two-run home run by freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.), his fourth home run of the season.

Sophomore Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) kept the inning going with a single, followed by a walk by sophomore Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.).

After a successful double steal, sophomore Brody Fessel (DePauw, Ind.) came through with an RBI single to increase the VU lead to 5-2.

Freshman Jaret Phillips (Jeffersonville, Ind.) closed out the scoring for the Trailblazers with a pinch hit RBI single to give the Trailblazers a 6-2 lead over Lincoln Land.

The Loggers would not go away quietly however as Lincoln Land came racing back in the bottom of the seventh to put five runs on the scoreboard, climb all the way back and pick up the walk off 7-6 victory over the Trailblazers in game one of the day.

Freshman Eastin Whaley (Kokomo, Ind.) got the start on the mound in game one for the Trailblazers, throwing five strong innings, allowing two runs, both unearned, on four hits and striking out three.

Freshman Grayson Reichert (Shepherdsville, Ky.) was the first out of the pen for Vincennes, throwing one inning, allowing one run on one hit and striking out two.

Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) allowed four runs, two earned on two hits in one third of an inning before turning it over to freshman Jacob Allen (Vincennes, Ind.) who threw one-third of an inning.

The Trailblazers looked to bounce back and close out the weekend strong in the series finale but quickly had to play from behind after Lincoln Land scored three runs in the first and added another run in the second to take a quick 4-0 lead.

Vincennes would get on the scoreboard in the third after a leadoff walk by freshman Jakob Hoyer (Georgetown, Ind.), followed by an RBI single by Bradyn Douglas, his second of three hits in the game.

Douglas would later come around to score on an RBI single by Carter Gricius as the Blazers cut the Lincoln Land lead in half at 4-2.

The Loggers would again respond in their half of the inning, using a big five run third inning and adding two more runs in the fourth to take a big 11-2 lead heading into the fifth.

Vincennes looked to chip away at the deficit in the fifth, using a one out double by Bradyn Douglas, his second double of the game, followed by an RBI double by Jevan Andrews, who would later score on a throwing error after a stolen base.

Nate Montgomery would reach on a walk, steal second and advance to third on the error that allowed Andrews to score before scoring on a groundout put in play by Cater Gricius, giving Gricius two RBIs in the game as the Blazers cut the Lincoln Land lead to 11-5.

Lincoln Land again answered in the home half of the fifth, using a bases clearing three-run triple and a two run home run to pick up another walk off victory on the day as the Loggers closed out game two by the final score of 16-5.

Freshman Wyatt Burris (Farmland, Ind.) got the start in game two on the mound for Vincennes, throwing two and one-thirds innings, allowing eight runs on six hits and striking out three.

Freshman Ryan Rayburn (Columbus, Ind.) allowed one run on two hits and struck out one in one-third of an inning before sophomore Colton Okes (Evansville, Ind.) came in to throw one and one-third innings of relief, allowing two runs on two hits.

Sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) pitched the fifth inning, allowing five runs on two hits in one-third of an inning.

The Trailblazers will look to regroup and bounce back in their next game when the Trailblazers return to Jerry Blemker Field for the first time since March 21 when VU hosts Oakland City JV Wednesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. eastern.

The Trailblazers will remain at home over the weekend when VU hosts No. 11 ranked Heartland Community College in an MWAC Conference weekend series.

This four game series with the Hawks is set to begin Friday, April 18 at 3 p.m. eastern, with the series finale doubleheader set for Saturday, April 19 at 12 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

VU (16-22, 6-13) – 200   004   0 – 6

Lincoln Land – 001   010   5 – 7

VINCENNES HITTING

HR – Gricius. RBI – Gricius 2, Montgomery, Fessel, Phillips. SB – Andrews 2, Johnson, Montgomery, Edlin.

GAME TWO

VU (16-23, 6-14) – 002   03 – 5

Lincoln Land – 315   25 – 16

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Douglas 2, Andrews. RBI – Gricius 2, Douglas, Andrews. SB – Andrews, Montgomery.