SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team continued their stretch of road games Saturday afternoon with the first two games of a four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference doubleheader at Lincoln Land Community College.
The Trailblazers fought hard and held their own throughout the doubleheader but were unable to avoid giving up big innings to the host Loggers as VU fell 9-5 in game one and 9-1 in game two.
Game one of the day started out as a pitcher’s duel with both teams trading zeros on the board, with Lincoln Land getting on the board in the second to take a 1-0 lead.
VU was able to get on the board in the fifth after a walk by freshman Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Hinton later scored on a throwing error by the Loggers.
The Blazers took the lead later in the inning when freshman Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.) came around to score on another error by Lincoln Land to give VU a 2-1 lead.
The Blazers would add to their lead in the sixth after sophomore Colin Long (Evansville, Ind.) led off the inning with a double and later scored when the Blazers executed a double steal with freshman Trevor Newman (Fort Wayne, Ind.).
Lincoln Land answered back in a big way on their home field, grabbing the lead back with a massive eight run inning in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead back at 9-3.
Vincennes would try to battle back late with Hinton scoring his second run of the game, coming around to score on an RBI double by sophomore Kaden Elliott (New Albany, Ind.).
VU got another run in the ninth with a double by sophomore Kobe Bartlett (Rockport, Ind.). Bartlett later scored by advancing on two wild pitches, but the Blazers were unable to completely erase the deficit as Lincoln Land came away with the 9-5 victory.
Vincennes did get a very impressive day on the mound out of game one starter, freshman Logan Medsker (Marshall, Ill.). Medsker lasted five and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out a career-high eight batters.
Sophomores Dawson Blaylock (Eaton, Ohio) and Jake Stuteville (Rockport, Ind.) each pitched an inning late in the game with Blaylock throwing a clean seventh inning and Stuteville striking out one batter while throwing a hitless eighth inning.
Lincoln Land wasted little time setting the tone in game two of the day, putting up four runs in the first inning.
VU would get on the board in the third with a big solo home run by Kaden Elliott, his fourth blast of the season to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Lincoln Land would extend their lead with a pair of runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth to give the Loggers what would ultimately be the winning margin of 9-1.
Freshman Josh McCormick (Indianapolis, Ind.) got the start in game two of the day, settling in after the first inning to throw three and two-thirds innings, allowing six runs, all unearned, on four hits and striking out two.
Freshman Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.) was the first out of the bullpen, throwing two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits and striking out one.
Freshman Jack Robinson (Mooresville, Ind.) closed out the final inning and two-thirds, allowing two hits and striking out one.
The two teams will return to the field for the final two games of this four-game weekend series tomorrow, Sunday, April 23. First pitch tomorrow is set for 1 p.m. eastern.
BOX SCORE
GAME ONE
VU (17-24, 5-12) – 000   021  011 – 5
Lincoln Land – 010   008  00x – 9
VINCENNES HITTING
2B – Bartlett, Long, Elliott. RBI – Elliott. SB – Bartlett, Long, Newman.
GAME TWO
VU (17-25, 5-13) – 001   000  0 – 1
Lincoln Land – 400   230  x – 9
VINCENNES HITTING
2B – Long, Burdette, Evans. HR – Elliott. RBI – Elliott. SB -Whitehead. HBP – Bartlett, Coy.
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The Vincennes University baseball team falls to 17-25 on the season, with a 5-13 record in MWAC Conference play.
