Hart’s big day on the mound give Trailblazers split at John Wood

QUINCY, Ill. – The Vincennes University Trailblazers closed out another Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series Tuesday afternoon at John Wood Community College and came away with the doubleheader split, winning the first game 5-2 before falling in game two of the day 14-6.

VU got off to an excellent start to the day Tuesday, with sophomore leadoff hitter Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.) leading off the game with a single and later coming around to score on an RBI single by sophomore Kobe Bartlett (Rockport, Ind.).

The game turned into a low scoring pitcher's duel with VU breaking the streak of clean innings with another run in the fourth on an RBI single by freshman Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.) to give Vincennes a 2-0 lead.

The Blazers continued to add to their lead in the sixth after four straight singles, including an RBI single by Burdette. Burdette later scored on an error on a fielder's choice put in play by sophomore Colton Evans (Henderson, Ky.).

John Wood avoided the shutout with a pair of runs in the sixth but were unable to get much momentum offensively with the VU pitching staff holding JWCC to just four hits on the day, allowing the Blazers to pick up the 5-2 victory over John Wood.

Vincennes was led on the mound by sophomore starter Xavier Hart (Jeffersonville, Ind.) who threw five-plus innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out six batters.

Freshman Christian Pinson (Elizabethtown, Ky.) entered the game out of the pen and threw the final two innings, allowing just one hit and picking up the save for Vincennes.

Game two of the day did not get off to such a great start for the Trailblazers. John Wood looked to bounce back on their home field and secure the series victory with a pair of runs in the first, a run in the second and two runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.

Vincennes was able to get on the board in the fifth after a leadoff walk by sophomore Dale Coy (Evansville, Ind.) followed by a single by Ethan Burdette, his third hit of the day and a two-RBI double by Colton Evans to cut the deficit to 5-2.

John Wood was able to get those runs back in the bottom half before the Trailblazers answered back in a big way in the sixth, with six of the first seven batters in the inning reaching base, including an RBI single by freshman Trevor Newman (Fort Wayne, Ind.), a two-RBI single by Ethan Burdette and an RBI single by sophomore Colin Long (Evansville, Ind.) to put VU within a run of John Wood at 7-6.

John Wood was able to answer back with a run in the bottom of the sixth, before putting the game away in the seventh with a six-run inning, including a walk-off two-run home run to give the host JWCC the 14-6 victory.

Freshman lefty Gavin Craggs (Taylorville, Ill.) got the start on the mound in game two, throwing three and one-third innings, allowing five runs on five hits and striking out three.

Freshman Logan Medsker (Marshall, Ill.) pitched an inning and a third out of the pen, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out one, before turning the game over to freshman Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Parnin lasted two innings, allowing five runs on three hits and striking out one.

The Trailblazers will have a short turnaround before hitting the road again this weekend to face off against Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill. Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23. First pitch both days is set for 1 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

VU (17-22, 5-10) – 100   103   0 – 5

John Wood – 000    002   0 – 2

VINCENNES HITTING

RBI – Burdette, Evans, Bartlett, Hinton. HBP – Egger

GAME TWO

VU (17-23, 5-11) – 000   024   0 – 6

John Wood – 210   221   6 – 14

VINCENNES HITTING

2B – Evans. RBI – Burdette 2, Evans 2, Long, Newman.