MONTEVALLO, Ala. --- A late rally spoils the Mississippi College baseball team's series attempt at a Gulf South Conference series-opening win at nationally ranked University of Montevallo. MC falls to 15-28 on the season and 9-16 in conference play while the Falcons improve to 33-10 and 17-8 in league action.
 
The Choctaw used the long ball to grab an 8-1 lead through six frames, but eight unanswered runs from the Purple and Gold completed the come back for the home team. MC totaled four home runs in the contest. It marks the fourth time this season the team has hit four or more in a single game and the first since Feb. 25 against Shorter.
 
Four Choctaw recorded multiple hits in the contest. Bridley Thomas, Caleb Reese, JT Vance and Cole Drake each notched a pair of hits as the team gathered 12 on the day. Vance and Thomas provided multi-RBI performances. Vance led the squad with three RBI while Thomas added two.
 
Thomas got the scoring started early as he led off the game with a solo home run to left field. It marked the fourth home run of the season for the Brandon, Miss., native and his third solo shot. Drake helped increase the lead in the top of the second with an RBI-double to left field that score Beau Kirsch.
 
Back-to-back home runs from Vance and Kolby McWilliams expanded the margin to 4-0 in the top of the third. UM got on the board in the bottom half of the inning with a run, but Thomas added his second homer of the day in the top of the fourth to resume the four-run lead through four innings.
 
The four home runs moved the squad to third on the single-season list as it surpassed the 1975, 1988 and 2011 editions.
 
After a scoreless fifth frame, the Choctaw added three runs in the top of the sixth to widen the gap. Luis Alcantara got the scoring started as he scampered across the dish on a wild pitch and Vance followed with a two-run, single up the middle that scored Beau Bates and Thomas and capped the Blue and Gold's scoring in the contest.
 
Choctaw starter Caleb Jacobs held the Falcons to just the one run through the six frames as he scattered seven hits and allowed three walks.
 
The Falcons began to chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the seventh as it plated four runs. Ben Teel drove in the first two runs of the frame with a single up the middle that tallied Khalid Collymore and Evan Liddie. One batter later, Reed Latimer followed with a two-run home run to left field that scored Teel and narrowed the gap to three runs.
 
After the Choctaw attempted to answer the scoring spurt in the bottom of the seventh, UM took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth with its second consecutive, four-run frame headlined by Sam Kuchinski's three-run home run. Collymore got the scoring started with an RBI-single up the middle.
 
Jackson Smith (0-4) was tagged with the loss as he allowed one run on two hits during the final frame. He recorded just a third of an inning in action as he replaced Slade Haney, who started the inning on the bump and surrendered three runs on a hit alongside two walks. Lane Little also saw action on the bump as he pitched an inning with four runs allowed on four hits with two strikeouts.
 
Jake O'Connell (1-0) picked up the win on the hill with 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball as he struck out three and gave up a walk and one hit. Connor Phelan (5) notched the save as he tossed the final frame.
 
Mississippi College and Montevallo conclude the three-game, Gulf South Conference series on Saturday, Apr. 22 with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
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