LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama softball team had to come from behind twice to defeat Delta State University 16-8 in six innings and capture the Tigers first Gulf South Conference win of the season Sunday at the UWA Softball Complex.   
 
West Alabama improves to 6-5 overall and 1-2 in the GSC after losing the series in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday. Delta State drops to 9-2 and 2-1.
 
"Our team has a lot of guts. They are totally a blue collar team and they have a lot of fight in them," said UWA head coach Will Atkinson. "We scored 30 runs in the last two ball games, so we are hitting the ball well. Our pitching hasn't been great, but it was good enough to win today. I am really proud of their effort."
 
Trailing 3-0 going into the bottom of the third inning, the Tigers put up seven runs to take their first lead. Devan Hines capped off the offensive surge by entering the game as a pinch hitter to knock in two runs on a single that gave the Tigers their first lead at 5-3.
 
"Devan Hines came in today with an awesome two run pinch hit, and that just shows you what our team is made of," said Atkinson. "We have people that, even though they don't play every day, they come in and do their part.
 
"I had told Devan in the inning before that if the opportunity came up to put runs on the board that I was going to need her and for her to be ready to swing the bat. She got her chance and had a perfect shot up the middle to score two and that was a major part of what got our momentum going."

The Lady Statesmen battled back with three more runs in the top of the fourth and two in the fifth. A sacrifice fly from Brooke Cline in the fifth put DSU back on top 8-7.
 
The Tigers went on another seven run streak in the bottom of the fifth, this time headlined by Mariah Chavez with a three run home run that claimed a 14-8 lead. In the sixth, UWA snared final victory on a two run single from Scarlett Wright.  
 
Alli Hall (3-3) pitched the complete game for the Tigers, battling through seven earned runs and nine hits to pick up the win.
 
"There is a lot that you will miss on the stat sheet about what Alli Hall did well today," said Atkinson. "She had the zone squeezed on her today, but instead of panicking she just focused on what she could control. The strides she made today go far beyond the stat sheet."  
 
Four Delta State pitchers saw action in game three, with the loss falling to Taylor Tucker who allowed six runs through two innings.
 
Chavez finished the day off with four RBI, while Lydia North, Jordyn Whiddon, Scarlett Wright and Ashley Stassin each tallied two. North led 3-for-4 at the play with three runs. Libby Davis also added in three runs with one hit in four trips.
 
West Alabama will take a break from conference play to face Peach Belt Conference opponent Columbus State in Columbus, Ga. on Tuesday. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.