MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The Union University baseball team fell 11-7 Friday afternoon at the University of Montevallo in game one of the 3-game series. Union dropped to 7-11 overall and 2-5 in the Gulf South Conference. Montevallo improved to 10-8 on the season and 4-6 in league play.
 
The game started with big offensive innings early. Union scored four runs in the first inning. Josh Frantz drove in the first run with and RBI groundout. Followed by an Austin Zeitler RBI triple. Ryan Lee, the reigning GSC Freshman of the Week, capped the inning with a 2-run home run.
 
Montevallo answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. Union added a run in the second on a when Patrick Music scored on a wild pitch. Montevallo took its first lead in the bottom of the second inning with five runs. All eight runs coming against Union starter, Ryan Mets (1-3), who finished with three innings of work, strikeout out five batters, walking two. Five of the eight runs charged to Mets were earned.
 
Union chipped away with single runs in the fourth and fifth to cut the deficit to 8-7. Zeitler had a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and then Union scored on a double-play ball in the fifth. Montevallo added to the lead with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.
 
Both teams had 13 hits and combined for eight errors in the game. Union has three miscues.
 
Logan Portis pitched well in relief, trying to keep Union close. He allowed three runs, two earned on five hits in five innings of relief. Portis struck out four and walked just one.
 
Frantz and Noah Domingues led Union with three hits each. Lee and Zietler led with two RBI each.
 
The two teams will close the series Saturday at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader.
 
-UNION-