FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo baseball team won its first Peach Belt Conference game of the season March 13 following an 11-2 victory over Columbus State University.

The Falcons (11-11 overall, 1-5 in Peach Belt Conference) were led by junior Blaine Rosenberg, an Oak Mountain graduate, who went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.

Freshman left-hander Alex Guilford picked up his team-leading third win of the season as he pitched six innings with two strikeouts and a walk. Guilford scattered four hits and gave up just one run.

Five Falcons picked up two hits each, including freshman Will Fulmer, junior Heath Peterson, junior Chris Ross, junior Josh Headley and junior Duston Daugherty. All five players also picked up an RBI. Sophomore Austin Dubberly, a Pelham graduate, was 1-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

Guilford was relieved by junior Wes Rich, a Pelham graduate, who pitched two innings with a strikeout. Rich gave up three hits and a run as well. Freshman Edward Brandsema closed out the game going the final inning while striking out one and setting the batters down in order.

The Falcons jumped out to an early lead as they scored two runs in the first inning. Dubberly hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score the first run as Ross scored after leading off the game with a walk. Daugherty then scored on a passed ball after reaching base on a double to left field.

Montevallo tacked on another run in the second as Daugherty hit an RBI single to center field, which scored Fulmer who had led off the inning with a single. Up 3-0, the Falcons put up another two-spot in the third. Fulmer picked up a sacrifice fly RBI to score Headley, who singled up the middle earlier in the inning. Rosenberg hit an RBI single up the middle in the next at bat to score sophomore Devon Davis, who had singled to the shortstop to reach base.

Another single run in the fourth gave the Falcons a 6-0 lead as Headley picked up an RBI single through the right side to score Ross. Ross had reached on a walk to open up the inning. The Cougars scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 6-1.

Montevallo responded with three runs in the fifth to blow the game open.

Senior Scott Deason, a Spain Park graduate, opened up the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field, which scored Fulmer who led off the inning with a walk. Ross followed up with an RBI single down the right field line to score Rosenberg who had reached on a double to right field. The final run of the inning came as Dubberly singled up the middle to score Daugherty who had walked earlier in the inning.

Montevallo tacked on another run in the sixth as Rosenberg hit an RBI single to score Fulmer who had doubled in the prior at bat. Columbus State’s final run came in the seventh to cut the Falcons lead to 10-2. The Falcons final run came in the eighth as Peterson hit a homerun to left center field.