GODFREY, Ill. – The wind was blowing out for most of Saturday afternoon as the Vincennes University baseball team opened Mid-West Athletic Conference play at Lewis & Clark Community College and the Trailblazer bats took full advantage, clubbing four home runs and scoring 25 runs over two games.
VU got the afternoon started with a big late comeback win in game one over L&C 17-9 before closing out the day by winning game two 8-5.
The Vincennes bats got off to a slow start Saturday, with Lewis & Clark jumping on the scoreboard first with a run in the second.
The Trailblazers would immediately respond in the third inning with a three-run home run by sophomore Brandon Juarez (Evansville, Ind.), his second home run of the year, putting the Blazers on top 3-1.
Lewis & Clark answered back in their half of the inning however, taking the lead back with four runs to lead 5-3.
Vincennes would chip away at this deficit in the fourth after a lead off double by sophomore Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.), who would come around to score on a fielding error put in play by sophomore Dylan Ecken (Louisville, Ky.).
VU would even the score in the 5th after another lead off double, this time by redshirt freshman Holden Clifton (Louisville, Ill), who would come around and score on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5.
Lewis & Clark again looked to take a commanding lead in the bottom of the 5th, scoring four runs in the inning and grabbing the lead back in a big way.
Vincennes would again chip away in the seventh with an RBI single by freshman Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) and a bases loaded walk by sophomore Trevor Newman (Fort Wayne, Ind.) to cut the L&C lead to 9-7.
The Trailblazers would hold Lewis & Clark scoreless down the stretch before VU’s bats came alive in a big way in the top of the ninth.
Looking to extend the game, VU came to bat in the top of the ninth down two runs and were able to get the first three batters on base to load the bases for sophomore Blake Heyerly (Monroe, Ind.) who came through with a big pinch hit grand slam, his first collegiate home run, to push the Blazers in front 11-9.
Vincennes wasn’t done there though, sophomore Jack Robinson (Mooresville, Ind.) plated another run with an RBI single, followed by a two-run home run by Holden Clifton, his first home run of the season and second of his VU career.
VU continued to add more as the Blazers sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning and capped off the massive inning with a two-RBI double by Jace Parnin and an RBI double by Blake Heyerly, giving him five RBIs in the ninth inning alone.
All totaled, the Trailblazers scored 10 runs in the ninth inning, the most runs scored by the Blazers in a single inning since March 17, 2018, vs. Lake Michigan College.
