LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Five West Alabama pitchers allowed just nine hits over 17 innings as West Alabama swept East Central (Okla.) in a college baseball doubleheader Saturday at Tartt Field. UWA won the first game, 2-0, and the second game, 6-5.
 
The West Alabama (6-1) sweep extended the Tigers win streak to six games. ECU lost for the ninth time in as many outings.
 
Tiger reliever Austin Sanders (1-0) picked up a save in the opener and a win in the nightcap. In three innings of work the UWA closer did not allow a run and struck out seven. Evan Anderson (2-0) worked seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out eight to pick up the win in the opener. Sanders worked the ninth inning for his second save in game one.
 
Evan Miller allowed four runs on just one hit in the second game after facing the minimum through 13 ECU hitters. A two-run home run by Trevor Huie ended Miller's no hit bid in the fifth inning of the nightcap.
 
"It's no secret that we have built this team around the pitching staff, and I have been pleased with what we have seen so far, especially with the way we have commanded the strike zone," UWA coach Gary Rundles said. "It's hard to beat any team four times. When you play four times in a series anything can happen."
 
Game one starter Shae Edmonds (0-2) and game two reliever Dylan Murphy (0-2) took the pitching losses for East Central.
 
West Alabama scored two runs in the fifth inning of game one and it would be all Anderson, Brady Badon and Sanders would need. Dylan Little singled to open the inning and then scored on a double by Davis Aiken, who came around to score from second base on a bunt single by Mitch Holgate.
 
Huie homer tied the second game at 2-2 in the fifth inning before ECU scored three more in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. Casey Kenney and Riley Roberts walked to open the sixth, then both scored when JT Stevenson's sacrifice bunt turned into a three-base error. Thomas McGarry had an RBI single in the frame.
 
West Alabama came back to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth when Aiken was hit by a pitch, Jack Cockrum walked and Little singled them both in before being thrown out trying to reach second base. Adam Chamblee then belted his third home run of the season, and the series, to tie the game at 5-5.
 
"Adam (Chamblee) is as good a fastball hitter as we have on this team," Rundles said. "If you challenge him and miss he can hit them a long way like a senior leader is supposed to do."
 
In a game scheduled for seventh innings, West Alabama wasted a chance to win in the seventh. Jake Bush served a pinch hit triple into right field with one out, but was left there after a strikeout and groundout.
 
With one out in the bottom of the eighth Nick Delgado singled in front of walks by Chamblee and Holgate, setting up Luigi Mendez to get the game winner on a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
"We battled back and answered the bell," Rundles said. "This is a team that doesn't panic, a team that knows that as long as we have three outs and a chance to hit we aren't out of anything. It almost seems that's where we have our best at bats."
 
West Alabama got 17 hits in the two games, with Aiken and Holgate getting two in the opener and Marcus Morrisette, Chamblee and Delgado getting two in the second game.
 
Kris Molter had two hits for ECU in the first game. McGarry had a pair of hits in the second game and Huie added a double to his home run.
 
West Alabama ends a five-game homestand when Stillman visits Tart Field Wednesday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.