Trailblazers drop mid-week clash at Wabash Valley

MT. CARMEL, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team was back in action Wednesday afternoon, hitting the road to nearby Wabash Valley College for a mid-week showdown with the Warriors.

The Blazers fought hard but ultimately fell to Wabash Valley by the final score of 7-3.

Vincennes got the game off to a great start, with sophomore leadoff hitter Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) leading off the game by reaching on an error and advancing through the bases on a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Douglas would come in to score the first run of the ball game on an RBI single by freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.) to give the Blazers an early 1-0 lead.

Wabash Valley would get on the board in the third inning, scoring there runs in the inning to take their first lead of the game at 3-1 and adding two more runs in the sixth to increase their lead to 5-1 heading into the final third of the game.

Vincennes would look to complete a late comeback starting in the seventh after sophomores Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) and Noble Johnson (Terre Haute, Ind.) were hit by pitches.

The pair would then score on a clutch two-out two-RBI single by Bradyn Douglas to cut the Warrior lead to two at 5-3.

Wabash Valley would immediately answer back in the bottom half of the inning, getting those two runs back and taking a 7-3 lead.

VU once again looked to strike in the eighth after Carter Gricius led off the inning with a single followed by a walk by sophomore Damon Kay (Spencer, Ind.).

Vincennes would load the bases with a walk by Noble Johnson, his third time reaching base safely, but were unable to capitalize and plate a run in the inning.

VU's last comeback attempt in the ninth again got off to a good start with Bradyn Douglas leading off the inning with a single, his fourth time reaching base safely in the game, followed by Carter Gricius being hit by pitch.

But again, the Trailblazers were unable to get a run across as the Warriors closed out the 7-3 victory over Vincennes.

Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) got the start in his hometown Wednesday afternoon, throwing a scheduled inning of work, allowing one hit.

Freshman Ryan Rayburn (Columbus, Ind.) was the first man out of the bullpen for VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney, throwing one and one-third innings, allowing three runs, two earned and striking out one.

Freshman Jacob Allen (Vincennes, Ind.) followed him by throwing one inning, allowing no runs on no hits and striking out one.

Freshman Ty Stultz (Terre Haute, Ind.) pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

Sophomore Yancey Edlin allowed one hit and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning while freshman Wyatt Burris (Farmland, Ind.) allowing one earned run on one hit.

Freshman Kory Kingsbury (Evansville, Ind.) pitched the final one and one-third innings allowing one hit and striking out one.

The Trailblazers will look to bounce back as the Blazers head into another tough Mid-West Athletic Conference series weekend, this time heading to Peoria, Ill. to face off against Illinois Central College.

The four-game weekend series will begin Friday, March 28 with first pitch set for 2 p.m. eastern, with the final two games set for Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

VU (12-16, 3-9) – 100   000   200 – 3

Wabash Valley 003   002   20x – 7

VINCENNES HITTING

RBI – Douglas 2, Gricius. HBP – Gricius, Johnson, Edlin. SB – Edlin, Johnson. Sac Bunt – Burris.