PENSACOLA, Fla. – UWF baseball took down No. 20 Mississippi College 5-3 Friday behind strong performances on the mound by Tony Kucera, Jared Hatch and Dylan Mills-Derouen. The Argos will look to win the series tomorrow in a doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m.
 
"Tony had a great start," said UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "Very pleased with the pitching. Hatch came in there, threw great seventh and eighth innings. He gave up a leadoff double and a single (in the ninth), but we brought in Mills to do the closing job, and he was lights out."
 
Kucera dazzled for the first five of his six innings, holding the Choctaws scoreless in each frame. Mississippi College rallied for three runs in the sixth, cutting a 4-0 Argo lead to 4-3 before Kucera left the potential tying run in scoring position. He stranded three in scoring position, striking out a season-best seven while walking just one. He picked up the win to move to 3-0 on the season.
 
The Argos (9-6, 6-1 GSC) built him an early lead with two runs in the first, another in the second and another in the fourth. The team found insurance with a final run in the seventh before leaving the bases loaded in the eighth.
 
Matt Sullivan paced the team with two RBIs. Matthew Jones scored twice and picked up two hits plus a stolen base. Mike Farnell picked up a pair of hits and a pair of runs. Trevor Payne chipped in two hits and a run scored. Adam Imwalle recorded one hit and one RBI.
 
Jared Hatch pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth before allowing men on the corners with no one out in the ninth. Mills-Derouen then entered to induce a 7-2 double play on a perfect throw from left by Sullivan to catch Billy Cameron trying to tag from the third. Mills-Derouen then struck out Ty Alderman to end the game.
 
The save was the first for Mills-Derouen. His former teammate at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Chris Crosby (1-1) took the loss for Mississippi College. He allowed five runs (three earned) while pitching into the seventh. The Choctaws (10-5, 3-1 GSC) were paced offensively by Cameron, who racked up two doubles and two RBIs. 
 
"Just happy to come out here. Weather cleared out, and it was a great night," said Jeffcoat. "The players played well, and it was a good ballgame."
 
UWF will look for the series win in a doubleheader starting tomorrow. Andrew Vaccacio (1-1) is expected to start the first game of the day, and Tony Rossi (2-2) is expected to start the second. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.

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