FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo baseball team picked up two more wins over North Georgia College and State University following a 10-1 win in the opener and a 2-0 victory in the nightcap in the final two games of a Peach Belt Conference series March 19.

The sweep marked the first conference sweep by the Falcons since 2008 and the first in the Peach Belt Conference. Montevallo’s last conference series sweep came against Gulf South Conference opponent University of West Georgia during the 2008 season.

The Falcons (14-12 overall, 4-5 in Peach Belt Conference) used just four pitchers on the day.

Senior Kyle Butler took home the win in game one as he went six innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Butler scattered six hits and allowed just one run as he improved his record to 3-2 on the season. Junior Brett Roney pitched the final three innings of the game and picked up his first save of the season. Roney struck out five and allowed just two hits.

Freshman Alex Guilford started the second game and went 6 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Guilford did not walk anyone and allowed just seven hits as he improved his record to 4-2 on the season. Guilford was relieved by junior Wes Rich, a Pelham graduate, who pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball. Rich struck out one and did not allow a hit as he picked up his third save of the season.

Sophomore Austin Dubberly, freshman Pablo Martell and junior Heath Peterson each had five hits over the two games. Dubberly, a Pelham graduate, was 1-for-2 in game one and 4-for-5 in game two as he picked up one RBI and three runs scored. Dubberly also drew a pair of walks and stole a base as well. Martell was 2-for-3 in game one and 3-for-4 in game two. He had one RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Peterson was 3-for-4 in game one and 2-for-4 in game two. He had three RBIs, two runs scored and a double.

Senior Josh Dabbs was 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles, a run scored and five RBIs. Sophomore Devon Davis had a pair of RBIs in game one as he went 1-for-4 at the plate.

The Falcons jumped on the board first in the second inning as Dabbs hit an RBI single through the right side to score Peterson, who had reached on a double to open the inning. North Georgia, which entered the series ranked No. 11 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Division II poll, answered with a run of its own in the top of the third but that would be all the Saints would score on the day.

Montevallo tacked on three runs in the bottom of the third as Peterson hit an RBI single to left field, which scored Martell, who had reached on a bunt single to open the inning. Dabbs then hit a two-run double to right-center field, which scored Peterson and Dubberly. Dubberly had reached on a walk earlier in the inning.

The Falcons blew the game open in the fifth inning as they scored six runs off of six hits. Both Peterson and Davis had two RBI hits in the inning, while Dabbs and Martell each added a single RBI.

That would be all the runs the Falcons needed as the pitching shut down the Saints to give the Falcons a 10-1 victory.

In game two, the Falcons had 13 hits, which equaled their number of hits in the first game but were only able to get two runs across the plate.

The only runs scored in the game came during the third inning. Martell opened the inning with a single to right field. Junior Chris Ross, a Pelham graduate, then sacrificed him to second. After a line out made it two outs, Dubberly hit an RBI single through the left side to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Peterson followed with a single to center field, which moved Dubberly to second. Dabbs followed with an RBI single through the right side to give Montevallo a 2-0 lead.

Guilford and Rich combined for the Falcons first shutout this season.