LIVINGSTON, Ala. – West Alabama defeated Union University 9-1 in five innings, before splitting with the Bulldogs in a Gulf South Conference softball double-header by falling 8-0 in five innings in game two at the UWA Softball Complex Friday.
West Alabama moves to 12-20 overall and 4-15 in the GSC. Union is 6-28 and 3-17.
"This one was tough to take. I can't wrap my head around the fact that you can run-rule a team and then turn around and get run-ruled," said UWA head coach
Will Atkinson. "It was great to get a win, but the way we looked the second game was really disappointing. We have an opportunity to win the series tomorrow, and that's where we're focusing our efforts right now."
The Tigers scored in every inning but one in the first game.
Libby Davis,
Audrey Diekmann and
Ashley Stassin led the UWA hitting. Davis went 2-of-3 with two runs and a run-batted-in. The leadoff hitter doubled in her first at-bat, before scoring on a Diekmann double. Davis hit an RBI single in her next at-bat in the second inning.
Deikmann finished 2-of-2, adding another RBI with a walk in the second and a triple in the fourth which led to her second run of the day. Stassin had three RBI with two singles in three at-bats.
Emily Bennett accounted for two of the Bulldogs' five hits, including an RBI triple in the top of the third.
Stassin (3-2) pitched all five innings to secure the win in game one. She struck out four and allowed one earned run. Paige Taylor (4-16) gave up five earned runs on six hits in the first two innings to get the loss.
Union tallied all of its runs, in game two, in the top of the second. It pieced together eight runs on seven hits and a single Tiger error. Back-to-back triples by Emily Binnett and Reagan Schrader put the Bulldogs up 5-0. Madison Tennyson capped off the rally with another triple that was good for one run.
Davis, along with
Ashlend Rodriguez, accounted for the only two Tiger hits.
Haley Cummings (2-11) took the win, pitching all five innings. She struck out seven on her way to the shutout.
Amanda Medders (3-10) picked up loss, not allowing any earned runs. Edmonds entered in the second inning, striking out three and giving up just one hit.
"Stassin threw a lot of strikes and gave us a chance all day long, and Edmonds came in and gave us a chance," Atkinson said. "The hitters did a great job in the first game, but when you fall behind eight runs, the offense is going to come out and press and try to win it all with one swing. We just need to figure out a way to string some hits together, and hopefully we'll get out of here with a series win tomorrow."
The series will conclude with game three on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the UWA Softball Complex.
