Trailblazers unable to overcome early deficit in doubleheader with No. 2 Heartland

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Trailblazers returned to Jerry Blemker Field Saturday afternoon for the final two games of this weekend's four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series with No. 2 Heartland Community College.

The Trailblazers dropped game one of the day to the Hawks 20-2, before falling in game two 19-10.

Vincennes got off to a slow start Saturday, with Heartland setting the tone early and often in game one of the day.

The Hawks plated two runs in the first and three runs in the second before completely breaking the game open with a pair of seven-run innings in the third and fourth, before taking on another run in the fifth to take a 20-0 lead.

VU would finally get the bats going in the bottom of the fifth after VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney began to empty his bench and the reserves took full advantage of their at bats.

Freshman Bryan Kohlmeyer (Paris, Ill.) picked up a single in the fifth and would come around to score on an RBI double by freshman Keegan Schlotterbeck (Centerville, Ind.).

Freshman Xavier Brown (Franklin, Ind.) followed that by being hit by a pitch and freshman Bracey Breneman (Linton, Ind.) drew a walk to load the bases.

Freshman Blake Heyerly (Monroe, Ind.) drove in the second run of the inning after being hit by a pitch as well, but this would be as far as the monster comeback attempt would get as VU fell in game one 20-2.

Freshman Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.) got the start on the mound in game one Saturday, throwing two and one-third innings, allowing 10 runs on eight hits and striking out two.

Sophomore Jake Stuteville (Rockport, Ind.) was the first out of the bullpen, throwing one inning, allowing five runs on two hits and striking out two.

Sophomore Rich Robinson (Chicago, Ill.) closed out the final two outs of the fourth inning, allowing four runs on two hits and striking out one, before turning it over to freshman Max Lines (Indianapolis, Ind.) in the fifth. Lines allowed one run on one hit in an inning of work.

The Hawks picked up where the left off to begin game two, scoring four runs in the first inning to take an early lead.

VU would answer back after shuffling the lineup in game two with sophomore Colton Evans (Henderson, Ky.) plating a run on an RBI double, followed by a run scoring groundout by Kaden Elliott to cut the deficit to 4-2 after one.

Heartland would continue to keep their foot on the gas offensively though with three runs in the second, two runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to take a 10-2 lead.

Vincennes would start their comeback in the fifth after freshman Carter Whitehead (Huntingburg, Ind.) led off the inning with a single, advanced on a balk and later scored on two wild pitches.

Sophomore Kobe Bartlett (Rockport, Ind.) would keep the rally going with an RBI single to score the second run of the inning.

Heartland would get a run back in the sixth before VU would again answer back with a two-RBI double by Colton Evans, his second double of the game and giving him third RBIs, followed by an RBI single by sophomore Kaden Elliott (New Albany, Ind.) as VU cut the lead down to 11-8.

The Hawks would score in the top of the inning before Vincennes cut into the deficit again in the bottom of the seventh after Keegan Schlotterbeck led off the inning with a walk, followed by a pinch-hit, two-RBI home run by sophomore Nick Kapostasy (Cincinnati, Ohio), his first collegiate home run, to cut the Hawks lead to 12-10.

Heartland would grab the momentum back in a big way in the top of the ninth with a big seven run inning to grow their lead back to nine runs, which VU was unable to overcome in the bottom half of the inning as Vincennes fell in game two of the day 19-10.

Freshman Aaron Fenn (Fort Wayne, Ind.) got the start on the mound in game two, throwing an inning and a third, allowing seven runs on six hits and striking out two.

Freshman Logan Medsker (Marshall, Ill.) took over out of the bullpen and threw two and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out three.

Sophomore Caleb Moore (St. Louis, Mo.) threw and inning and a third, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one, before turning the game over to freshman Christian Pinson (Elizabethtown, Ky.) who threw an inning and two-thirds, allowing one run on two hits.

Sophomore Eli Steimel (Sullivan, Ind.) pitched an inning and allowed one run on one hit, while Keegan Schlotterbeck and freshman Bryton Griffy (Louisville, Ill.) combined to finish the ninth, with Schlotterbeck allowing three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning and Griffy allowing two runs on one hit in one-third of an inning.

The Trailblazers will look to bounce back when Vincennes hits the road next weekend for another MWAC Conference series, traveling to Quincy, Ill. to face-off against John Wood Community College Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16. First pitch for both days is set for 1 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

Heartland – 237   71 – 20

VU (16-19, 4-7) – 000   02 – 2

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Schlotterbeck, Breneman, Evans. RBI – Schlotterbeck, Heyerly. HBP – Heyerly, Brown.

GAME TWO

Heartland – 430   211   107 – 19

VU (16-20, 4-8) – 200   024   200 – 10

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Evans 2. HR – Kapostasy. RBI – Evans 3, Kapostasy 2, Elliott, Bartlett.