Trailblazers get walk-off win to split MWAC doubleheader with No. 14 Parkland

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball team returned to Jerry Blemker Field Friday afternoon for the opening two games of their weekend Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series against No. 14-ranked Parkland College.

The Trailblazers opened the weekend slate with a big 11-3 victory over the Cobras, before dropping game two of the day 10-5.

Vincennes opened the weekend strong in game one, opening the game with a big five run first inning.

Freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.) got the inning going with a single before moving up with a pair of stolen bases.

Freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.) followed Andrews by reaching on a hit by pitch and moving up 90 feet on a double steal with Andrews to give the Blazers runners at second and third.

Sophomore Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) drove in the first runs of the game, reaching on a fielding error by the Cobras to put the Blazers ahead 2-0.

Sophomore Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) kept the inning going with a single before the bases were cleared again with a big two-RBI triple by sophomore Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) to extend the VU lead to 4-0.

Johnson would then come in to score on an RBI double by sophomore Brody Fessel (DePauw, Ind.) to give VU an early 5-0 lead.

Vincennes would add to this lead in the third inning after a single by Corbin Napier and back-to-back walks by Yancey Edlin and Noble Johnson loaded the bases.

Fessel drove in his second RBI of the game with a bases loaded walk to give VU a 6-0 advantage over Parkland College.

Parkland would get on the board with a run in the fourth but VU answered back with another big inning in the fifth, plating four runs in the inning.

VU opened the fifth exactly like the third inning, with a leadoff single by Corbin Napier, followed by walks for Edlin and Johnson to load the bases.

Brody Fessel picked up his third RBI of the day with another bases loaded walk, which was followed by another bases loaded walk by sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.).

The inning continued after a pair of fielder's choices with a two-RBI single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) to put the Vincennes lead at 10-1.

Parkland picked up a pair of runs in the sixth but were unable to cut further into the Trailblazers lead.

VU came to bat in the seventh needing one run to end the game early and got the inning started with a leadoff single by sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.).

Douglas would then steal second and take third on a passed ball.

Douglas would later end the game by scoring on a wild pitch to give the Trailblazers the game one victory over Parkland College 11-3 in seven innings.

Sophomore Carson Allen (Louisville, Ky.) took the mound in game one for the Trailblazers, throwing a seven inning complete game, allowing three runs, two earned on five hits and striking out five.

Vincennes looked to carry this momentum into the second game of the day but it was Parkland who struck first, scoring three runs in the first to open the game.

Vincennes would respond in the bottom half of the inning after a walk by Jevan Andrews and an RBI double by Carter Gricius.

Gricus would then score on an RBI single by Corbin Napier, who evened the game by scoring on an RBI double by Yancey Edlin to tie the game at 3-3 after the first inning.

Parkland would regain the lead later with a run in the third and extend their lead with two runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth to take a 10-3 lead over VU.

The Trailblazers would not go away easy however, looking to complete a big comeback in the seventh.

VU got a single by Bradyn Douglas, a fielder's choice by Jevan Andrews and a single by Carter Gricius, before Corbin Napier cleared the bases with a two-RBI double to put the Blazers within five.

This would be as close as the Blazers would get however as Parkland College closed out game two of the day 10-5 over VU.

Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) got the start for Vincennes in game two of the day, throwing four innings, allowing six runs on nine hits and striking out five.

Sophomore Colton Okes (Evansville, Ind.) was the first out of the pen for VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney, throwing two innings, allowing four runs on three hits but closed out his outing strong by retiring the final four batters he faced in a row.

Freshman Ryan Rayburn (Columbus, Ind.) came on to pitch the seventh inning for the Trailblazers, throwing a clean inning by retiring the side in order and striking out the first two batters he faced.

The Trailblazers will look to bounce back and get the series victory as the series shifts to Parkland College in Champaign, Ill. for the final two games of this four game conference series Saturday, March 22 with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

Parkland – 000   102   0 – 3

VU (12-12, 3-6) – 501   040   1 – 11

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Fessel. 3B – Johnson. RBI – Fessel 3, Johnson 2, Montgomery 2, Gross. HBP – Gricius, Napier. SB – Andrews 2, Douglas, Gricius, Montgomery.

GAME TWO

Parkland – 301   240   0 – 10

VU (12-13, 3-7) – 300   000   2 – 5

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Gricius, Napier, Edlin. RBI – Napier 3, Gricius, Edlin. SB – Andrews.