FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo baseball team split a rain-shortened doubleheader with the University of Alabama-Huntsville at home Feb. 3.

The Falcons (1-2) won the opening game 5-4 in nine innings before falling 4-2 to the Chargers in just five and a half innings due to a heavy downpour.

The Falcons were led on the day by junior Vincente Andrews, who was 4-for-6 at the plate over the two games with three runs scored and a double.

Senior Kirk Waligora was 3-for-7, while junior Andrew Hill, a Pelham High School graduate, went 3-for-4 with a run scored.

Sophomore Will Fulmer, freshman Vinny Rodriguez, sophomore Alec Stiver and junior Austin Dubberly, a Pelham High School graduate, all provided RBIs for the Falcons.

On the mound, junior Devon Davis took home the Falcons’ lone win of the day while pitching 1 1/3 innings with a strikeout and a walk. Junior Nathan Flanagan picked up a save while pitching one inning of relief with two strikeouts. Junior Kameron Heiser took home the loss in the second game while going 4.0 innings with three walks and four runs given up.

The Falcons struck first in game one in the second inning as senior Heath Peterson and Andrews opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Two outs later Rodriguez singled to left field to bring home Andrews and put the Falcons ahead 1-0. The Chargers answered with a run of their own in the very next inning.

UAH eventually took the lead in the fourth as they plated a pair of runs off three hits. Montevallo cut the lead to just one in the fifth as Fulmer singled to right field to bring home senior Blaine Rosenburg, an Oak Mountain High School graduate, who had reached on a lead-off walk.

Montevallo tied the game in the sixth as Stiver hit a groundout RBI to the shortstop. Just a two batters later a pair of Charger errors led to two runs crossing the plate and giving the Falcons a 5-3 lead. UAH scored a single run in the seventh off a pair of hits but that would be all they could muster as senior Drew Boyer and Flanagan combined to hold them scoreless over the final two innings.

In the second game, it was the Chargers who struck first in the third inning as they blasted a two-run homer over the left center field fence. They struck again in the fourth as a hit and a Montevallo error led to two more runs crossing the plate.

The Falcons cut the lead to just two in the bottom of the fourth. Dubberly drove in the first run on a groundout to first base and the second run scored on an error by the Chargers. Both teams made it through the fifth and the top of the sixth before the heavens opened up and let loss a torrential downpour that halted the game. After an extended rain delay it was decided that the game could not be completed and UAH was awarded the win.

The Falcons will return to action this Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. as they travel to Stillman College for a non-conference battle.