LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Sweeping a doubleheader from the 24th-ranked team in the country, the University of West Alabama defeated visiting Nova Southeastern by scores of 8-3 and 4-3 on Friday afternoon at Tartt Field. UWA pushes above .500 for the first time this season at 7-6 while NSU drops to 7-5.

In the nightcap, the Tigers walked off with a victory for the second time this season as they broke a 3-3 tie by scoring a run in the seventh inning.

Deon Williams led off the frame and was plunked by Nova starter Sean Tighe (0-3), and the two-sport star advanced to third on a single by Jay Jennings. The Shark center fielder bobbled the ball momentarily, allowing Jennings to sneak into second and force the visitors to load the bases by giving an intentional pass to Ladarrius Cole.

Cole finished the afternoon going 5-for-8 on the day, scoring four runs and driving in two on his first home run of the season – a blast that came in the first contest.

With the bags packed, Brian Simone took a 1-2 pitch and sent it back up the middle to score Williams and give the Amherstburg, Ontario, native his 10th RBI of the year.

Barry Meeks (1-1) was stellar in the game as he tossed seven innings of one-hit ball in earning his first victory in the Red and White. He gave up three runs but only one was earned, and the Sweet Water, Ala., native walked just one while striking out five.

The Tigers had led through much of the affair as they scored a pair of runs with two outs in the third. Williams was a big part of that frame as well as his double plated Trent Johnson and knotted the contest at one as the Sharks had pushed across a run in the first. With an error committed by the shortstop, Joseph Reed was able to reach and Williams scored on the play to put UWA in front 2-1.

Jeremy Rice with a sacrifice fly knocked in Cole in the third to tack on a run for the Tigers, but the Sharks took advantage of UWA miscues to score a run in both the fourth and sixth innings to setup the final-inning drama.

Colter Millican (2-2) turned in six innings of solid work in the first contest as he picked up the win. He scattered five hits across six innings while being charged with three runs – two of them earned. He did walk four batters, but he also struck out seven.

He settled down from a first inning that saw the Sharks plate two and was assisted in doing so by having his offense come out and score three runs in its half of the first off of Isaac Hicks (2-1).

Hicks entered the game with a sub-two ERA and a pristine 2-0 record, but the UWA bats rapped three straight singles off of him to load the bases for Micah Reaves. While he did ground out to first, the transfer from the University of Mississippi earned his 11th RBI of the season, knocking in Cole.

Trent Johnson also collected an RBI in the frame, and Kevin Deese scored when Tyler Shaw reached on an error.

After Deese picked up the first of his game-best three RBI in the fifth on a sacrifice fly that scored Cole, the Sharks scored a run in the sixth to make it a 4-3 game, but a pair of long bombs in the seventh gave the Tigers all the cushion they would need.

Cole and Deese each connected on long flies to right to produce a four-run frame that put UWA up by a comfortable 8-3.

Neal Lambert (1) gave up just one hit in his three innings of relief, and he struck out three en route to picking up his first save of the season.

Still looking to win its first series of the year, the Tigers will host Nova again on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at noon.