CLEVELAND, Miss. – Colton Morgan limited Tampa to just one earned run through seven and one-third innings on the mound, while Marcus Morrisette earned his second save in as many days, lifting West Alabama to a 7-6 win over the Spartans in the NCAA South Regional Sunday at Ferriss Field.
 
The Tigers (37-20) notched their first post-season win over UT, eliminating the No. 2-seeded Spartans (39-14) from the tournament and will take on No. 3 Nova Southeastern (35-17) at 5:35 p.m.
 
"It kind of sounds a little like déjà vu," UWA head coach Gary Rundles said. "Colton has struggled all season with some personal issues, but today is a perfect example of what collegiate athletics are all about.
 
"He laid his heart out on the line and gave everything he had for his team. He settled down after giving up a three-run lead and took us all the way into the eighth."
 
West Alabama dealt the first blow for the third consecutive game of the tournament after Nick Delgado wore a pitch, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Taylor Stafford and moved 90 feet from home on a Tampa throwing error.
 
Dylan Little sacrificed himself on a deep fly ball to left field, allowing Delgado to tag up for a 1-0 UWA lead. Morrisette went opposite field on the next-at bat for his 11^th homer of the season, scoring himself and Luke Phillips, who reached on the error, to extend the Tiger lead to 3-0 after the top of the first
 
However, the Sunshine State Conference champs responded in the bottom of the frame as a single to center field from Vin Cosenzo chased Kevin Santa, who reached on a walk, across the plate to cut the margin to two runs.
 
A sacrifice fly from Darren Miller on the next Spartan at-bat allowed JD Osborne to score an unearned run, while the Tiger's second error of the inning paved the way for Cosenzo to touch home for the third unearned run of the inning, tying the game at three-all.
 
Tampa took their first lead of the day, moving ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the third as Miller cranked out a one-out, solo blast for his second run-batted-in of the day.
 
Not to be out done, the Tigers tied the game in the top of the fourth, driving Lee, who scored from second after walking to lead off the frame, across the plate on a double down the right field line off the bat of Brock Montgomery.
 
Following a Josh Winningham walk and Montgomery's double, Delgado hopped a single over the Spartan third baseman to drive both UWA base runners home, pushing the lead to 6-4.
 
West Alabama continued to move runners in the frame as Luke Phillips ripped a triple into the right center field gap to score Delgado for a 7-4 Tiger advantage.
 
After four innings of scoreless baseball, Tampa's bats heated in up in the bottom of the eighth as a pair of singles preceded by Chris Gaffney's walk loaded the bases for Santa, UT's career batting average leader.
 
Santa came through for the Spartans, driving in Gaffney on a single to center field, shaving the Tiger lead to two runs. Braxton Wallace got the next two UT batters to fly out, ending the Spartan threat.
 
Tampa's Cosenzo blasted a 2-2 pitch deep over right field to lead off the Spartan ninth, bringing Morrisette back to the mound for just his second appearance to close out the game. A long fly ball to dead center was corralled by Delgado, while a pop up to Little, who moved to shortstop with the defensive changes put two away.
 
Morrisette put an 0-2 pitch past the final Tampa batter, ringing him up with a backwards "K" to advance the Tigers into their second matchup with the Sharks in four days.
 
"I tip my hat to that team," Rundles said. "Tampa is a great ball club with quality players up and down the lineup. You have to pitch and play the best that you can to beat them.
 
"We made mistakes here and there, but we made the plays when we had to and turned a couple of key double plays. This team will fight you until the very end, and I just hope we have enough bullets left to finish the war."
 
Morrisette and Delgado led the Tigers with two RBI each, while Phillips, Lee and Montgomery joined the Tigers' third baseman and centerfielder with a hit each in a five-hit UWA attack. Danny Lee, Santa and Cosenzo paced the Spartans with two hits apiece.
 
Colton Morgan (4-3) earned the pitching win, disallowing a run for four innings to hold Tampa at four runs before leaving the mound in the seventh. Morrisette earned his second save in as many collegiate appearances.
 
Colton Widdows (5-1) takes the loss, giving up three earned runs on three hits in three and one-third innings of work.