Trailblazers baseball ends weekend with big team win over Morton College

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball team ended their long four-game weekend Sunday afternoon with what is possibly their most complete game as a team with a 12-4 win over Morton College at Jerry Blemker Field.

VU got off to a slow start with the Panthers getting a run on the board quickly after a leadoff double in the first.

The Trailblazers didn't waste any time getting this run back in the bottom half of the inning however with sophomore Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.) leading off the game with a hit by pitch and scoring from first on an RBI double by sophomore Kaden Elliott (New Albany, Ind.).

Vincennes then took the lead in the second after freshman Xavier Brown (Franklin, Ind.) led off the inning with a walk and freshman Trevor Newman (Fort Wayne, Ind.) later got a single. Both would score on a two-RBI single by Kaden Elliott, giving the Blazers an early 3-1 lead with all three runs driven in by Elliott.

VU took full control of the game in the third inning with a massive two-out rally, including an RBI single by freshman Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.), a two-RBI triple by Ethan Burdette and an RBI double by freshman Brandon Juarez (Evansville, Ind.). VU would send 10 batters to the plate and score six in the third inning as the Blazers held a 9-1 lead over the Panthers.

Vincennes continued to add on in the fourth after sophomore Kobe Bartlett (Rockport, Ind.) led off the inning with a double, his second hit of the day and was driven in by an RBI single by freshman Carter Whitehead (Huntingburg, Ind.).

Whitehead would later score on a sacrifice fly by Trevor Newman and Xavier Brown would get a double and score his third run of the game on a pinch hit RBI single by freshman Tucker Helton (Terre Haute, Ind.).

Morton would look to battle their way back into the game with a pair of runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth, but were unable to overcome the deficit as VU came away with the big 12-4 victory over the Panthers.

"Obviously, offensively today we did a good job," Barney said. "Burdette came through with a triple and a couple of RBIs and led off the game and scored after being hit by a pitch. Kaden Elliott doubled him in to start the game for us and picked up two more RBIs. Kaden Elliott had a big day."

"Brandon Juarez did a good job today with an RBI double as well," Barney added. "Kobe Bartlett had two hits. Carter Whitehead got an RBI. Down in the order Kade Hinton came through with an RBI single and Trevor Newman ended up 1-1 with a walk and a sac fly today. So we got production and a good performance out of just about every spot in the lineup today. On top of that we played some pretty good defense and looked good on the mound. When you put all of that together like we did today, we come out with a win."

"Tucker Helton came in and did a good job later in the game of getting two hits and an RBI," Barney said. "Some of the other guys we were able to get into the game late were able to put together some good at bats. But right now Helton has been the one who has come off the bench and has done a good job at practice and hopefully it continues to translate into the game for him."

Freshman Josh McCormick (Indianapolis, Ind.) got the start on the mound Sunday and pitched into the sixth inning, allowing four runs on six hits and striking out one. McCormick worked very efficiently all game, ending with 65 pitches in five-plus innings of work and 62-percent of pitches being strikes.

Freshman Logan Medsker (Marshall, Ill.) then entered from the pen to throw the final two innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out two without allowing a run.

"Today all started on the mound," Barney said. "Josh McCormick gave us a great outing of five-plus innings and kept us in the game with minimal damage. He walked one, we had an error and a passed ball. Other than that, he was pretty good."

The Trailblazers will now prepare for what is most likely their toughest weekend set of the season next weekend when VU hosts NJCAA Division II No. 12 Kellogg Community College Friday, March 3 at 5 p.m. eastern.

The weekend continues on Saturday, March 4 when VU faces Lincoln Trail College at 1 p.m. and NJCAA Division I No. 8 Wabash Valley at 6 p.m. eastern.

The weekend will conclude on Sunday, March 5 when VU takes the field against an opponent to be determined at 1 p.m. eastern.

"It's an opportunity to play," Barney said. "It's an opportunity to play against good competition. You can't get any better than this next weekend. You can't get any better than having two nationally ranked teams in Kellogg and Wabash Valley and then Lincoln Trail is right up there with them. That's as good of competition as we are going to face all year and hopefully it helps us get ready for the start of conference play."

BOX SCORE

Morton – 100   021   0 – 4

VU (4-8) – 126   300   x – 12

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Brown, Elliott, Bartlett, Juarez. 3B – Burdette. RBI – Burdette 2, Elliott 3, Helton, Juarez, Whitehead, Hinton, Newman. HBP – Burdette. Sac Fly – Newman. SB – Brown, Burdette, Elliott, Hinton, Bartlett.