Trailblazer baseball falls in MWAC doubleheader at Illinois Central

PEORIA, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team closed out their four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series at Illinois Central Monday afternoon and fell in the doubleheader, dropping game one 7-5 before falling in game two of the day 8-2.

The Trailblazers got off to a really good start Monday, with leadoff hitter, sophomore Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.) leading off the game with a single, stealing second base and later scoring on a throwing error to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.

Illinois Central would get this run back in the bottom half of the first, before VU would score in the second after sophomore Colin Long (Evansville, Ind.) led off the inning by being hit by a pitch and later scoring on an RBI single by freshman Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.) to take the lead back.

ICC would grab the lead back in the fourth with three runs before VU would get a run back in the fifth after Kade Hinton led off the inning with a single and scoring on a fielding error by the Cougars to cut the deficit to 4-3.

VU would take the lead back in the sixth with a pair of runs coming on back-to-back RBI doubles by Kade Hinton and Ethan Burdette. Hinton's third hit of the game and second RBI of the game to give VU a 5-4 lead.

Illinois Central would answer back however in this back-and-forth showdown, scoring three runs in the sixth to take the lead back and holding on after retiring the Blazers in order in the seventh to pick up the 7-5 victory in game one of the day.

Freshman Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.) got the start on the mound Monday, throwing three and two-third innings, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out four.

Sophomore Caleb Moore (St. Louis, Mo.) entered out of the pen to throw an inning and two-thirds, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one.

Sophomore Xavier Hart (Jeffersonville, Ind.) came in to pick up the final two outs of the sixth inning, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out one.

Vincennes then looked to turn things around and avoid the series sweep in the series finale and were again the first team on the scoreboard with sophomore Kobe Bartlett (Rockport, Ind.) leading off the second with a single and later scoring on a groundout by sophomore Mahkai Pelzer (Douglasville, Ga.).

Illinois Central would get a run in the bottom of the second to even the score at 1-1 before picking up a pair of runs in the third and three runs in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.

The Cougars continued to add to their lead with a run in the fifth and a run in the sixth before the Blazers would look to attempt a late comeback in the seventh with a solo home run by sophomore Colton Evans (Henderson, Ky.), his sixth of the season.

While the VU bullpen did manage to silence the ICC batters in the late innings, the Blazers were equally unable to get something going offensively, with Vincennes able to get one runner on base in the final two innings as Illinois Central closed out the 8-2 victory and picked up the MWAC Conference series sweep.

Sophomore Jake Stuteville (Rockport, Ind.) got the start on the mound in game two, throwing four innings, allowing six runs on 11 hits and striking out two.

Freshman Logan Medsker (Marshall, Ill.) was the first out of the pen in the series finale, throwing an inning and two-thirds, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out two.

Freshman Aaron Fenn (Fort Wayne, Ind.) finished out the final two and one-third innings on the mound for VU, allowing one hit and striking out two.

The Trailblazers will look to bounce back when VU hits the road again tomorrow, Tuesday, March 28 when Vincennes travels to Olney, Ill. to face-off against Olney Central College. First pitch tomorrow is scheduled for 3 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

VU (14-14, 4-3) – 110   012   0 – 5

Illinois Central – 100   303   x – 7

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Hinton, Burdette. RBI – Burdette, Hinton 2. HBP – Evans 2, Long. SB – Evans 2, Long, Hinton, Burdette, Whitehead.

GAME TWO

VU (14-15, 4-4) – 010   000   100 – 2

Illinois Central – 012   311   00x – 8

VINCENNES HITTING

HR – Evans. RBI – Evans, Pelzer. HBP – Long, Elliott. SB – Evans.