Mills' no-hitter highlights VUs doubleheader split at Parkland

REPORTED BY: TRAILBLAZER WILLIE CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Vincennes University sophomore Jake Mills threw a seven-inning no-hitter in the second game of the VU Blazer Baseball Team’s doubleheader split Sunday at Parkland. The Trailblazers dropped the opener 8-3 and then had 16 hits behind Mills for a 16-0 win in the nightcap. “Obviously, Mills threw the ball extremely well, but the offense stepped up in that second game too,” VU Coach Chris Barney said. “We did what we needed to do and played better baseball.” Mills struck out six and walked three in the “no-no” to improve to 4-2 on the season. The Game 2 VU offensive onslaught included freshman Brad Hartman’s 2-for-5 and four-RBI day, plus sophomore Logan Coughlin’s 2-for-3 and two-RBI performance. Coughlin had a triple and a double, while Hartman and sophomore Trent Simpson added doubles as well.

The Trailblazers (21-11) also got two runs driven in by freshman Matt Volz and sophomore Austin Roberson. The remaining RBI were by sophomore Jared Melliff and freshmen Robbie Doring and Kaleb Waller. In the first game, Simpson went five innings on the mound and went 2-for-4 at the plate with a triple and run batted in. But VU committed three errors and Simpson (5-3) was touched up for seven hits and seven runs (six earned). He also walked three Cobra hitters. Sophomore Ryan Cheek relieved Simpson and yielded one hit and an unearned run in one inning of work. Freshman Jake Carey had a double and Doring drove in a run in the second game. VU will host Danville at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Jerry Blemker Field.