HOUSTON, Texas –
Mason Gray collected three singles, but Flagler College lost its season opener to No. 36 (
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Preseason Top 40) University of Montevallo 2-1 at the Houston Winter Invitational Friday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.
The Saints trailed 1-0 going into the top of the eighth inning.
Jaiden Warde led off by drawing a walk and then took third on
Tim Kudlinski's single to right-center. Warde scored on
Matthew Burke's sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game.
In the Falcons' ninth, Matt Simon drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ben Teel hit the first pitch he saw down the left field line to plate Simon with the winning run.
Reilly Kipka (1-0) tossed a scoreless ninth, allowed one hit and struck out one to earn the win in relief. Logan Samuels started and scattered four hits as well as striking out six in 4.2 innings pitched.
A.J. Prendergast (0-1) took the loss for the Saints as he came in relief of
Huston Wynne in the middle of the ninth.
Gage Voorhees started and allowed just two hits and one run in six innings of work. He retired 15-of-the-last-16 batters he faced.
Kudlinski had a pair of singles for Flagler. The Saints had eight hits as a team – all singles. Flagler stranded 11 runners on base.
Barry Eiseman finished with one single and scored a run for Montevallo. Reed Latimer had an RBI-single in the first.
Flagler takes on California State University at Chico tomorrow at 10 a.m. Central.
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