LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Gandy Stubblefield pitched a complete-game shutout as West Alabama eliminated Nova Southeastern with a 2-0-college baseball victory Saturday at the NCAA Division II South Regional at Tartt Field.
 
The win improves fourth-ranked West Alabama to 42-10 with a meeting against eighth-ranked Tampa (37-13) Saturday night at 9 p.m. No. 6 and second seed Nova Southeastern ends its season at 39-13.
 
"I wasn't sure how we would respond coming off the loss to Florida Tech last night because we haven't lost a lot this year," UWA head coach Gary Rundles said. "We came out and went about our business, played hard and made the most of opportunities when we got them."
 
West Alabama scored single runs in the third and seventh innings and Stubblefield (7-3) made sure it was enough by scattering just four hits, walking two and striking out five. The junior from Lufkin, Texas recorded 13 ground ball outs. Nova starter Roberto Baroniel (6-6) was charged with the loss.
 
"Coach Rundles came up to me after the eighth and asked me how I felt. I told him I wasn't coming out," Stubblefield said. "When I went out there for the ninth I kept telling myself 'don't walk anybody'.  I knew if I walked anybody that would be it.
 
"When I was able to get (Justin) Garcia for the second out I knew it was just a matter of letting the defense work," Stubblefield said. Garcia, the Nova designated hitter, was everybody's South Region MVP with 26 home runs and 71 runs batted in. He was 0-for-4 against Gandy.
 
Parker Madden doubled with one out in the third inning and moved to third on a wild pitch. Jack Cockrum drove him in with a ground ball to shortstop. West Alabama's other run came when Tanner Rainey singled to lead off the seventh, was balked to second base and scored on a single by Adam Chamblee.
 
"That run in the bottom of the seventh was huge for us," Rundles said. "I was proud of Adam for stepping up and getting a two-strike hit. He had been down on himself after a couple of strikeouts."
 
Neither team had a player with more than one hit and Stubblefield allowed Nova to get runners in scoring position just twice in nine innings.
 
"We wanted to try to ride Gandy as long as we could because you never know how much pitching you are going to need as you get later in the tournament," Rundles said. "He had command of three pitches and wasn't showing any signs of fatigue."