TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of West Alabama battered Stillman College in baseball action on Tuesday afternoon, using a 19-hit performance to secure a 17-1 victory. The win puts UWA at 18-17 on the season while Stillman falls to 22-17.

Each spot in the West Alabama lineup recorded a hit as the team recorded its season-high in base knocks, and four Tigers drove in three runs in the winning effort. The 19 hits also represent the highest total since UWA recorded 22 on Mar. 7 of last year.

Striking first, the Red and White scored a run in the first when Kevin Deese belted his 12th double of the season off the wall in right to plate Brian Simone who had walked earlier in the inning. The lead would not last long, however, as the hosts responded with a run of their own off UWA starter Colter Millican in the bottom half of the inning.

Stillman threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the second, but with a runner in scoring position and just one out, catcher Clint Brown threw out Cameron McCreless who was attempting to steal third. The third out was recorded just one pitch later as Millican struck out J. Ryan Rennspies to end the inning.

West Alabama loaded the bases in the top half of the sixth inning thanks to three straight singles to begin the frame. The squad was looking to play small ball after Deese picked up his second hit of the day with a drive into center.

Colin McKeen and Deon Williams both laid down perfect bunts with McKeen laying his right down the first base line to reach as no one was covering the bag and Williams beating out the throw after his went to the left side of the mound.

Ensuring the Tigers would cash in on the opportunity, Micah Reaves hit a looper into left to plate Deese and McKeen and put UWA up 3-1.

The bunt parade continued as Tyler Shaw placed a beauty down the third base line that no one could reach to make a play, loading the bases again. Jay Jennings drew a walk to force in Williams, and Ladarrius Cole's groundout to first plated Reaves to put the visitors up 5-1.

Yet another infield single – this time from Simone to the shortstop – scored Shaw as the squad sent 10 men to the dish in the five-run frame.

The inning made Jesse Boyd (2-1) the pitcher of record for the Tigers as he pitched the fifth and sixth innings and gave up just one hit while striking out two.

Ryne Smith worked out of a jam in the eighth, inducing an inning-ending double play ball to squash Stillman's biggest threat in the latter stages of the contest as the hosts had runners at first and third at the time.

Colton Henderson pitched the third and fourth frames while earning a pair of strikeouts, Drew Wilson tossed a scoreless seventh, and Brian Burgess fanned three in the ninth to end the game as the Tigers used six arms in the contest.

Before Burgess went to the bump in the bottom half, the Tigers put the game completely out of reach with an 11-run frame.

Cole finished the game with three hits as did Jennings, while the group of Simone, Deese, Reaves and Clint Brown recorded a pair of hits each. Reaves had another RBI to go with the ones that came off the game-winning hit, and Simone, Jennings and Joseph Reed matched him with three.

The Tigers will return to action on Friday evening in Florence, Ala. as they take on North Alabama at 5 p.m. with a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday. All three games of the weekend series will be carried on ESPN 104.9 FM.