FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo baseball team (5-4) split a doubleheader Feb. 19 with Northern Kentucky University.

The Norse, who are ranked No. 15 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Division II poll, took home the game one victory 15-7 before the Falcons roared back in game two to win 13-2.

Montevallo (5-4) picked up its game two victory on the back of one of the best pitching performances of the season.

Senior Kyle Butler pitched eight innings with 10 strikeouts and just two walks. Butler held the Norse, who had 18 hits in game one, to just four hits and allowed two unearned runs.

Junior Josh Headley and sophomore Austin Dubberly, a Pelham graduate, led the way offensively as they were both 6-of-10 at the plate. Headley had a double, three runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base. Dubberly had a pair of doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Junior Heath Peterson led the team in RBIs with four in the twin bill. Peterson also had four hits, including a double, and three runs scored.

Butler picked up the lone win on the mound, improving his record to 1-0 on the season. Sophomore Michael Shreves took home the loss in game one as he started the game and went five innings with three strikeouts and five walks.

Junior Brett Roney pitched in both games for a total of 2 1/3 innings while striking out four and allowing just one run.

In game one, it was all about late inning runs for the Norse. Northern Kentucky took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Falcons answered with three runs in the third. The Norse scored two in the fourth to tie the game at 3-3. In the sixth inning, Northern Kentucky tacked on five runs before Montevallo answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut into the lead.

The Norse went on to score three more runs in the seventh inning and four in the eighth to open up a big lead. Montevallo scored a single run in the ninth inning.

The Falcons had one big inning early in the second game and one late to help pick up a 13-2 victory over the nationally-ranked Norse.

Senior Josh Dabbs got things going in the second inning for the Falcons as he hit a solo homerun to give Montevallo a 1-0 lead.

After the Norse took the lead in the top of the third inning with a pair of runs, the Falcons exploded for six runs off of six hits and two errors in the bottom half of the inning to take a 7-2 lead. Montevallo tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning. The score remained the same for three more innings as Butler sat down 12 straight batters over the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Montevallo eventually tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning to solidify the victory. Roney came in and pitched the final inning of the game as he gave up three hits and struck out three without giving up a run.