CARROLLTON, Ga. – The University of West Alabama softball team closed out the University of West Georgia Wolves Invitational with an impressive 9-8 win over Rollins College on Sunday to earn its fourth win of the weekend. Earlier in the day, UWA dropped a tough 4-3 decision to Florida Southern.
The Tigers improve to 17-5 overall on the season and will return home on Tuesday, March 9, hosting Tuskegee. The Tars of RC (11-1) entered the weekend having received votes in the first in-season National Fastpitch Coaches Association's Division II Poll. The one-run setback to UWA was RC's first of the weekend as the Tars knocked off Gulf South Conference East power UAH 2-1 earlier on Sunday.
After UWA spotted starter Katie Ford a three-run lead, the Tars scored single runs in their first two plate appearances and took a 4-3 lead after three complete innings. Ford settled in to toss a scoreless fourth and fifth before the Tigers exploded for six runs in the sixth. After back-to-back singles to start the frame, junior Valisha Fincher hit a towering three-run blast to regain the lead. The Tar pitching staff allowed three walks in the frame and all three scored on a pass ball that deflected off of UWA's Mary Wright, who scored the first of the three runs on the miscue.
Holding a 9-4 lead, RC trimmed the lead to 9-7 with three runs in the sixth and could have done more damage, but a line drive back to pitcher Jessica Cervantes turned into a double play to get UWA out of the inning. RC added a run in the seventh with its second home run of the contest.
Kelli Hartley turned in a multiple hit game as her home run in the first highlighted UWA's three-run inning.
Against FSC, UWA jumped on the scoreboard in the third before the Mocs pasted a pair of unearned runs on the board in the fifth. The Red and White responded with a run in its half of the sixth as Lauren Mills connected on her second home run of the season. FSC touched UWA reliever Cervantes with two runs in the sixth to take a 4-2 advantage heading into the final frame. Cervantes was saddled with the loss after Ford tossed the first five innings. Ford fanned eight and allowed two hits and a pair of unearned runs in the outing.
The Tigers looked poise to extend the game after pushing a run across in the seventh after Jessica Powell's walk forced in a run, but FSC avoided trouble after getting a strike out and a fielder's choice to end the threat. UWA finished with just two hits in the contest as Stephanie Beahn had a single in the final at bat.
First pitch between UWA and Tuskegee is set for 2 p.m. at the UWA Softball Complex.
