Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Anna Shartzer pounded out five hits in two games and pitcher Sarah Ray improved to 7-1 on the season as West Alabama split a Gulf South Conference doubleheader with top-ranked Valdosta State Saturday at the UWA Softball Complex.
 
Ranked No. 19 in NCAA Division II, West Alabama won the opener, 3-2, before dropping the nightcap, 6-2.
 
The Tigers are 12-5 overall and 3-3 in conference play with West Florida visiting for a doubleheader Sunday.  First pitch is 2 p.m. Valdosta State is 19-4, 5-2 in GSC play.

West Alabama clinched the win in the opener  by throwing out Valdosta State's Karson King at the plate for the game's final out. The Lady Blazers returned the favor in the nightcap, turning a double play in the bottom of the seventh inning with the winning run at the plate for West Alabama.
 
"We showed a lot of character in the first game. Sarah (Ray) pitched great and Taylor Tucker came in at a really tough spot and pitched her way out of it," UWA head coach Will Atkinson said. "Whitney (Brown) and Morgan (Morrison) didn't panick, did what they needed to do and made the play at the end to seal the win."
 
Tucker earned her second save in the opener, preserving the victory for Ray. Brianna Hancock (5-2) took the loss. Kenzi Reed (9-1) was the winning pitcher for VSU in the second game. Jessica Brock (2-4) absorbed the loss for UWA.
 
"Our pitching wasn't horrible in the second game, but we made a couple of mistakes defensively that got us in the hole," Atkinson said. "In the first game made all the plays we needed to make and had timely hitting." 

Courtney Albritton and Shelby Altman had three hits apiece for Valdosta State in the second game, with Albritton homering and driving in two runs. Tamara Vickers, Morgan Morrison and Kelsey Cooper all had two hits for West Alabama in the nightcap.