CARROLLTON, Ga. – A five-run sixth inning lifted West Georgia to a 7-4 win in the opener, while a six-run seventh inning propelled West Alabama to 13-8 victory in the series finale as the Wolves and Tigers split a Gulf South Conference double header at University Softball Field on Saturday.
 
With the split, West Georgia (25-22, 15-15 GSC) holds a one game lead over Shorter (24-21, 14-14 GSC) for seventh place in the conference standings. West Alabama (21-28, 11-19 GSC) is four games out of seventh place and three and a half games out of eighth.
 
"I thought the team did a great job today," UWA head coach Carie Dever-Boaz said. "They battled defensively, and I thought they played well on the offensive side of the ball as well."
 
"I think the team showed a lot of character. At this point in the season, it's easy to check out and say we're done, but we were in every one of these games. It could have just as easily gone our way with a defensive play, a well-timed hit or a well-placed pitch."
 
The opener went back-and-forth, starting with a solo homer over right field off the bat of Audrey Diekmann, her 14^th of the season, giving UWA a 1-0 lead in the top of third.
 
Summer Wallace jumped the Wolves in front of the Tigers in the bottom of the fifth, driving in Katie Spinks and Trinity Kirkland for a 2-1 UWG advantage.
 
West Alabama re-took control of the game in the top of the sixth, tying things up at 2-2 as Ashley Smart crossed the plate on a passed ball before Diekmann and Chelsea Lobitos each picked up RBI singles to push UWA in front 4-2.
 
A five-run sixth inning for Wolves, highlighted by a two-run shot from Marley Stowers and a three-run blast from Raven Smith gave UWG a 7-4 lead they would make stand for the Game 1 win.
 
West Georgia struck first in Game 2, taking a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from Stowers before Kirkland hammered a three-run homer over left field for a 4-0 UWG lead after the second.
 
While Ashley Stassin limited the Wolves to just two hits over the next four frames, the Tiger offensive hung runs on the board in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, building a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Kierra Hague posted a run batted in on a fielder's choice in the fourth, while Abby McKee earned two RBI on a single in both the fourth and fifth frames. Allison Craft drove in two more Tiger base runners on a single to right center in the fifth.
 
Sarah Beth King totaled four RBI in the win, driving in one on a double to right center in the sixth before launching a three-run homer over center field in the seventh. Stassin recorded three RBI with a double to left center, also in the seventh.

West Georgia would not go away quietly, scoring four runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh before Peyton Stallworth lined out to Jenna Goldsmith to end the UWG rally for a 13-8 Tiger win.
 
"All in all, I don't like to come away 1-2, but there were some positives to take away from it," Dever-Biaz said. "I think we have laid down a good foundation this season, but we have a long way to go and we have to keep working."
 
Smart, King and Diekmann paced the Tigers with four hits on the day, while Lobitos and McKee tallied three hits. Stassin contributed two hits in the UWA effort. Ashlend Rodriguez, AC Storey, Craft, Hague and Goldsmith each chipped in a hit.
 
Lexie Stohr led UWG batters with four hits. Kirkland, Stallworth and Wallace each recorded three hits, while Emily Miles, Sierra Stella and Spinks contributed two hits on the day. Kilandra Dollar, Raven Smith and Stowers each posted a hit for the Wolves.
 
Danielle Easterly (8-7) split the double header, earning the win in Game 1 after giving up one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of work in relief of Starter Adriana Durden. Easterly took the Game 2 loss, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings in the circle.
 
Andrea Edmonds (16-23) takes the loss in the opener, giving up two runs on six hits before a UWG offensive explosion in the sixth added five more runs and six hits to her totals. Stassin (5-5) earns the Game 2 win with two big innings from the Wolves tacking eight runs and 11 hits to her final statistics.
 
The Tigers will return to Livingston, Alabama, facing off against No. 17 Alabama Huntsville in both the last homestand of the year and the GSC regular season finale, starting with a double header on Saturday. First pitch at the UWA Softball Complex is set for noon.