LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama baseball team used two runs in the fourth and three in the sixth to defeat Kentucky State University in the second game of Friday's doubleheader 5-2, Friday from Tartt Field. 

West Alabama earned the split of the twin bill, as Kentucky State won the opening game earlier in the day 8-6. 

After Friday's action, UWA is 4-2 on the season, while KSU is 4-1. 

GAME 1: Kentucky State 8, West Alabama 6
The Thorobreds got the offense rolling in the opening frame with three straight hits to dent the scoreboard first and stormed out to a 3-0 lead. 

UWA tacked on a run in the bottom half of the frame. Following a double down the right field line by Houston Kitterman, he later scored on a throwing error by Preston Jones as Chase Dejean reached on an infield single. 

In the third, KSU saw runners at first and second with one out, but Bryant Quimby kept the runners from scoring with a strikeout of Antonio Chambers and a pop-up to short by Isaiah Zepeda-Felix. 

West Alabama flipped the lineup in the bottom of the third. After Bryce Newman worked a full count single and advancing to second on a passed ball, Blake Vineyard reached base via an infield hit. After a Kitterman walk to load the bases, Dejean made it a 3-2 affair with a sac fly. 

Vineyard made it a 3-3 score after scampering home on a wild pitch. 

The Tigers added on with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. After the Thorobreds got back-to-back strikeouts on the mound, three straight throwing errors by the shortstop gave UWA the 5-3 lead as Newman and Vineyard both scored on separate plays. 

Things stayed that way until the seventh, when Collier Higgs laced an RBI single down the right field line to make the lead 5-4 in favor of West Alabama. 

UWA had a great opportunity in the bottom half to add on some insurance runs with the bases loaded, but a strikeout ended the threat. 

KSU would take advantage of its runners on base in the next half inning. The visitors put together a four-run top of the eighth to give the Thorobreds the 8-5 lead. 

After Jace Dunsford pitched a clean top of the ninth, the Tigers had the top of the order due up. UWA was able to get one run across on a Jack Beck base knock, but the home team left the tying run on base as the Thorobreds picked up the road victory. 

Chase Dejean and Blake Vineyard each had two hits for the Tigers in the linup, while Houston Kitterman reached four times in five plate appearances thanks to a double and three walks. 

Bryant Quimby earned a no decision in his second start of the year, tossing five innings, allowing three earned and punching out five. 

Collier Higgs and Kelton Saylor each had three hits to pace the Thorobreds. 

GAME 2: West Alabama 5, Kentucky State 2
In the second game, the bats were quiet for the first three and a half innings. As the Tigers got a second look at Eric Turner on the mound, the bats started to heat up. Bryce Newman opened the bottom of the fourth with a base knock through the right side. 

After moving to third on a wild pitch and later interference on a pickoff attempt, Blake Vineyard laced a double in the gap to get the Tigers on the board first. 

Chase Dejean used a productive at bat with a groundout to second to score Vineyard. 

After facing the minimum through four innings, Maxwell Schumacher kept the streak going in the fifth. With one out, and after Isaiah Zepeda-Felix reached on an error, Schumacher later picked him off for the second out of the inning. Cedric Poellniz's pop up ended the threat in the inning. 

In the sixth, UWA added key insurance runs as Blake Vineyard and Will Wood scored to make it a 5-0 lead. 

Kentucky State ended Schumacher's no-hit bid in the seventh. After Parker White led off the frame with a hit by pitch, Collier Higgs sent a fly ball over the right field wall to make it a 5-2 score. 

The Tigers went to the bullpen as Cade Miller moved down the final three batters all by the swinging strikeout to earn a split in Friday's doubleheader. 

Maxwell Schumacher (1-0) went six-plus innings and did not allow a hit until his second batter in the seventh. The junior allowed one hit and punched out six batters. Tossing 84 pitches, 51 found the strike zone. 

Blake Vineyard scored two runs and had a double and RBI in the night cap. 

Collier Higgs had the two-run home run in the seventh to lead KSU's offense. Eric Turner (0-1) had five punch outs in 5.1 innings. 

The Tigers return to the diamond on Saturday for the rubber match against the Thorobreds. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m.