FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo baseball team dropped a pair of games at Columbus State University, 7-6 and 12-8, in a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader March 12.

The Falcons (10-11 overall, 0-5 in Peach Belt Conference) were led by sophomore Austin Dubberly, a Pelham graduate, who went 5-for-9 at the plate with a run scored and a pair of RBIs in the doubleheader.

Junior Heath Peterson was 4-for-9 at the plate with a pair of home runs, two runs scored and a team-high four RBIs.

Freshman Alec Stiver started the second game behind the plate and went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Junior Blaine Rosenberg, an Oak Mountain graduate, started at catcher in game one and went 3-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.

Sophomore Will Dismukes started game one on the mound and went six innings with six strikeouts and a walk, while senior Kyle Butler started game number two and went 5 2/3 innings with a strikeout and two walks.

Senior Joey Noro took home the loss in game one as he pitched the final 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and a walk. Butler took the loss in game two.

Game one came down to the final inning, as the Falcons trailed 6-4 heading into the ninth inning. After an inning-opening out, the Falcons had three-straight singles to load the bases.

Montevallo’s runner on first was then picked off to make it two outs and runners on second and third. After a walk loaded the bases, junior Chris Ross, a Pelham graduate, drew another walk to score the Falcons’ fifth run. Dubberly then was hit by a pitch to tie the game at 6-6 but Montevallo was unable to score anymore runs.

The Cougars loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning with just one out. Montevallo was able to get the next batter to line-out to the shortstop, but the Cougars produced some two-out magic in the form of a single through the right side which ended the game.

In game two, the Falcons jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second. Stiver hit an RBI single up the middle to score senior Scott Deason, a Spain Park graduate, who had led off the inning with a single. Headley then had a groundout RBI, which scored freshman Will Fulmer. Ross hit a two-out double down the left field line to score Stiver and then Dubberly hit an RBI single to score Ross and put the Falcons ahead 4-0.

The Cougars scored two runs in the third inning to cut the lead to 4-2. Montevallo answered with a single run in the fourth inning, as Peterson hit an RBI single to center field to score Ross. The Cougars scored a single run of their own in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to two runs once again.

A four-run fifth inning for the Cougars gave them a 7-5 lead and they tacked on another five runs in the sixth to take a 12-5 lead. Montevallo finally responded in the top of the ninth inning with three runs, but it was not enough.