VU Baseball continues to roll after Friday night doubleheader sweep

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball team is picking up steam as they roll through the early part of their 2025 season, opening a big weekend invitational at Jerry Blemker Field Friday night.

The Blazers faced some tough competition Friday in front of the home fans and were able to extend their winning streak to five games after defeating North Iowa Area Community College 11-8 and picking up a big win over No. 15 Kellogg Community College 1-0.

Vincennes opened the weekend slate against North Iowa Area Community College and wasted little time getting the offense going in game one of the day.

After the Trojans opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the first, Vincennes responded in the bottom half of the first with a monster seven run inning.

VU sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning and opened the game offensively with a leadoff single by sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.).

Freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.) followed this by reaching on an error and the pair moved into scoring position on a double steal, with Douglas coming around to score on another NIACC error.

Andrews would score on a groundout put in play by sophomore Cobrin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) to even the score at 2-2.

Vincennes then continued the inning with a big two-out rally started by walks by freshman Kaden McKinney (Vincennes, Ind.) and sophomore Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) and sophomore Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) being hit by pitch to load the bases.

Sophomore Brody Fessel (DePauw, Ind.) drove in a run on a bases loaded walk, which was then followed by a big two RBI single by sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ind.).

Vincennes capped off the big inning with Fessel scoring on another NIACC error and Gross scoring on a passed ball to put the Blazers up 7-2.

North Iowa Area would cut into this big lead with three runs in the second, which Vincennes again responded with four runs in the third inning.

Vincennes opened the third inning with a single by Yancey Edlin and a walk by Noble Johnson. Bryce Gross would load the bases with a walk and Bradyn Douglas would drive in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Jevan Andrews kept the inning going with an RBI infield single, followed by an RBI single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.).

Vincennes would get the final run of the inning on a perfectly executed double steal attempt with Andrews scoring while Montgomery was caught in a run down, to give Vincennes the 11-5 lead.

The scoring would slow through the middle innings, with NIACC again cutting into the Vincennes lead with three runs in the fifth and looking to add more with the bases loaded in the sixth, but were unable to push another run across as Vincennes closed out the game strong to pick up the 11-8 victory.

Sophomore Carson Allen (Louisville, Ky.) got the start on the mound in game one for the Trailblazers, throwing six strong innings, allowing eight runs, five earned on nine hits and striking out eight.

Freshman Jacob Allen took over in the seventh and was able to retire the Trojans in order, including a game ending strikeout, to pick up his first collegiate save.

"We took advantage of their mistakes," VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. "They gave us some opportunities early and we put up a seven run inning and a four run inning. Then we were able to hold on and play solid defense behind Carson Allen. Carson's always going to give us a chance to win and then Jacob Allen came in and did a great job of cleaning it up and getting out of there with his first collegiate save."

The Trailblazers would then have to immediately turn around and face another tough test against No. 15-ranked Kellogg Community College from Battle Creek, Mich.

This game was a big contrast between game one of the day for the Trailblazers with both teams pitching staffs dealing throughout the game.

Scoring opportunities were hard to come by in game two of the day, with Vincennes only getting one base runner through the first three innings.

VU would break the tie in the fourth however after a lead off single by Bradyn Douglas, followed by a double by Nate Montgomery giving the Blazers runners at second and third with only one out.

Corbin Napier was able to get the job done at the plate and allow Douglas to score on a sacrifice fly to give the Trailblazers the 1-0 lead.

The VU pitchers equally held the Kellogg batters at bay, coming through in key situations to hold the Bruins off the scoreboard and maintain the narrow one-run advantage.

Vincennes was able to silence any Kellogg scoring opportunities late as the Trailblazers closed out their fifth straight victory by the final score of 1-0.

Freshman Eastin Whaley (Kokomo, Ind.) continues to deal on the mound early this season, throwing four innings Friday night, allowing just one hit and striking out five.

Whaley then turned the game over to freshman Ty Stultz (Terre Haute, Ind.) who closed out the final three innings of work, only allowing two base runners without allowing a hit and striking out three in the game to pick up the save.

Whaley and Stultz combined to throw a one-hit shutout for the Trailblazers Friday night, VU's first shutout since May 2023.

"Game two was a battle," Barney added. "Really good job out there by their pitchers and our guys too. One inning was the difference in this one with leadoff single, a double and a sacrifice fly and that ends up being the difference in a 1-0 game."

The Trailblazers will look to keep this hot start going as they close out the weekend invitational tomorrow, Saturday, March 1 against North Iowa Area Community College.

Game time for tomorrow will be decided in the morning, with NIACC either playing VU in a single nine-inning game at 1 p.m. eastern, or NIACC playing Kellogg in a seven-inning game at 1 p.m., followed by VU facing NIACC in a seven-inning game immediately after.

"We've got to just continue to compete," Barney said. "We've got to find different ways to win ball games and compete. Play good defense, we got a little sloppy in game two and we were fortunate that they didn't take advantage of our errors. We've just got to continue to compete. JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) will start on the bump for us and we've still got a fair amount of guys in the bullpen. So we feel good about where we are at."

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

North Iowa Area C.C. – 230   030   0 – 8

VU (6-3) – 704   000   x – 11

VINCENNES HITTING

RBI – Gross 2, Douglas, Andrews, Montgomery, Napier, Fessel. HBP – Napier, Johnson. Sac Fly – Douglas. SB – Andrews 3, Miller 2, Douglas, Gross, McKinney, Edlin.

GAME TWO

Kellogg – 000   000   0 – 0

VU (7-3) – 000   100   x – 1

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Montgomery. RBI – Napier. Sac Fly – Napier.