LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The West Alabama baseball team was unlucky on the first day of its home tournament. The Tigers dropped games against Emmanuel College and Carson-Newman on Friday to start this weekend's competition 0-2 and fall 0-7 on the season. UWA fell 6-3 to Emmanuel in the opening matchup and closed the day with a 9-6 loss versus Carson-Newman.
GAME ONE
After a 1-2-3 top of the first inning from UWA pitcher Brenton Thiels, the Tigers came out in the bottom half to score their first run on a single by Josh Bower.
Emmanuel answered in the top of the second when an error by the Tigers' catcher manufactured an unearned run to tie the game at 1.
West Alabama brought two runs across the plate in the fifth inning to build a 3-1 lead in a three-hit inning. Gavin Rogers hit a single up the middle to score Jake Nemith. After making it to base, Rogers eventually came home on a balk.
The Lions opened this sixth inning with a flyout, but Brody Campbell came behind it with a single to second base. A fielder choice advanced Campbell to second, and a double by Jonathan Manibusan brought him home for a score of 3-2.
Both teams were prevented from scoring in the seventh and the eighth, but the ninth inning action earned the Lions victory.
Four runs in the last frame ensured a 6-3 victory for the Lions. Throwing error provided the first unearned run of the inning for Emmanuel. A single by Luke Patty added a second, and two more UWA errors would score the third and fourth.
Against Emmanuel, Bower led the Tigers at the plate. The Headland, Ala. native, had four plate appearances for four hits and one RBI. Gavin Rogers also collected an RBI for UWA. He had a 3-for-4 appearance with one run.
Rogers started the game at first base but eventually took over pitching duties in the ninth inning. He pitched 0.1 innings for one hit against, two unearned runs, and one strikeout for his first pitching loss of the season.
Comparing the statistics, UWA outhit Emmanuel 13-7, but errors would be the team's downfall. West Alabama committed five errors while the Lions saw none.
GAME TWO
Carson-Newman reached the scoreboard early, putting up two runs in the first inning on two hits. The Eagles designated hitter Harrison Travis singled to centerfield for two RBIs.
The Eagles added a third run in the top of the fourth on a single by the shortstop Micah Genter.
The Tigers answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring their first two runs of the competition on one hit and an error. Kyle Vogler scored on a passed ball, and Colden Peeples came home on a sacrifice fly by Brayden Lyman to cut in to CNU's lead, 3-2.
In the fifth, the Eagles extended their advantage over UWA, 5-2. Two runners for Carson-Newman were put on base due to Tiger errors. The bags were loaded on a single by Zach Boze. Jordan Griffin would then score two runners on a single down the left line to keep CNU ahead.
Carson-Newman continued to score in the seventh. The Eagles had their largest frame of the competition, bringing home three runners on two hits and an error. Parkinson singled and then advanced to second on a groundout. A pitch hit Griffin to have two runners on base. A miscue by the UWA second baseman scored Griffin and Parkinson, and a third run was brought in on a single through the right side by Henry Jackson. The Eagles closed the frame ahead, 8-2.
West Alabama did not give up. In the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers put together a string of three hits to score four runs. Jacobey Hawthorne and Peeples were granted base time by a walk and a hit by pitch, respectively. Nemith singled through the right side to load the bases. Josh Bower doubled down the right line for two RBIs. Jacob Messina followed with a double of his own for two RBIs. UWA trailed Carson-Newman, 8-6.
The game's final run was scored in the top of the ninth. Carson-Newman scored its ninth run on a sacrifice fly.
Bower and Messina had 2-for-4 plate appearances for a double and two RBIs, and Peeples led the team in runs with two.
On the mound, starting pitcher, Peyton Warren took his second loss of the season. The Brentwood, Tenn. native pitched 5.0 innings for seven hits, five runs (three earned), three walks, and one strikeout.
The Eagles outhit the Tigers 11-9 while keeping their errors to one as UWA had three.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will return to Tartt Field on Saturday, Feb. 12, to face Carson-Newman a second time. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
To stay connected with the UWA baseball team, follow @UWA_baseball on Twitter. General athletic news, along with game recaps and box scores, can be found at uwaathletics.com. Additional updates and information are available @UWAAthletics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
