MONTEVALLO, Ala.—The West Alabama softball team dropped both games of Sunday's double-header at Orr Park, falling 7-3 to the University of Mobile and 10-4 to Montevallo on the final day of the Second Annual Falcon Frenzy.
The losses end a three-game win streak for the Tigers, who fall to 3-6 on the season. The Rams improve to 6-3 and the Falcons move to 5-7.
"Today was a tough day, but we are very close to pushing over the top," UWA head coach Carie Dever-Boaz said. "We are getting people on base and giving them opportunities to compete, but there are three aspects to this game, and we are consistently doing one and half when two are needed to win."
West Alabama (3-6) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as a
Kierra Hague bunt brought
Audrey Diekmann around to score.
However, Mobile took a lead it would not relinquish in the bottom of the inning, scoring five runs in six hits with a two-run blast by Victoria Lewis, a two-RBI double from Holli Rowland and a one-run single by Kaitlyn Wood.
The Rams tacked on two more runs in the bottom of he third as Rowland hammered another two-run homer over the left field fence, extending Mobile's lead to 7-1.
Jenna Goldsmith scored the final two runs of the game in the top of the fourth, ripping a line drive down the left field line to drive
AC Storey and
Ashley Smart across the plate.
Goldsmith went 2-for-4 with two runs-batted-in while Hague went 2-for-3, contributing an RBI in the first inning. Howland grabbed four RBI's on two home runs. Lewis drove two runs across the pate with a third inning homer, while Wood's RBI came on her only hit of the day.
Andrea Edmonds (3-3) took her first loss of the weekend, giving up four runs on two hits in two-thirds innings pitched. Karley Sanders (1-0) earned the win for the Rams, allowing three runs and striking out three batters in 3.1 innings of work.
After falling into a two-run deficit to tournament-host Montevallo in the nightcap,
AC Storey halved the gap, stealing third and advancing home on a Falcon throwing error.
Montevallo scattered six hits in the third inning, driving five runs across the plate with an RBI double from Dylan Bailey, a one-run single off the bat of Haley Barnette, a two-run double by Kaitlynn Thompson capping it off with another RBI double by Kaylee Keefe.
The Tigers responded in the top of the fourth with two-run blast from
Audrey Diekmann , but the Falcons pushed the gap back to seven runs in the bottom half of the inning with RBIs from Kelsey Vinning and Bailey.
"
Audrey Diekmann was amazing all weekend and is emerging as a leader," Dever-Boaz said. Our defense was a 100 percent better this weekend. Now it is time to get back to the grind and prepare for Delta State."
West Alabama added another run in the top of the fifth, cutting into Montevallo's lead as a single from Smart allowed Chelsea Lobitios to touch home. The Tigers put a final rally together in the sixth inning, but left the bases loaded after Jocelyn Rivera retired
Savannah Smathers to secure the 10-4 victory.
Diekmann lead the Tigers in game two, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs on a single and a home run. Montevallo's Bailey grabbed three runs-batted-in on three hits. The Falcons outhit the Tigers 14-6 on the night.
Ashley Stassin (1-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits through three innings on the circle. Rivera (4-5) earned the win. Giving up just six hits in her second complete game of the season.
The Tigers will open up both the homes portion of the schedule and Gulf South Conference play with a three-game series against the Statesmen (6-5) with a double header on Saturday. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. and game two at 3 p.m. West Alabama will conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
