TUSKEGEE, Ala. – Trailing 4-2 going into the top of the eighth inning, the University of West Alabama baseball team scored a run in the eighth and two in the ninth to defeat Tuskegee University 5-4 in a midweek contest from Washington Field on Wednesday.
Earning the series sweep, West Alabama improves to 10-10 on the year with the win. Tuskegee falls to 4-13.
"Today was a game that we continued to put pressure on their defense. We had a lot a loud, hard outs. Credit to the guys for continuing to battle and finally finding a way to win one of these one-run ball games," said head coach
Eric DuBose.
Tuskegee got out to a fast start with single runs in the first and second and a two-run third to get out to a 4-0 lead. However, the UWA bullpen shut down the TU offense the rest of the game.
"We got a lot of good work out of our bullpen. They did a phenomenal job of locking down after the third inning and putting up zeros from there, added DuBose.
In the top of the fifth,
Blake Vineyard ended a streak of seven consecutive batters retired by TU starter Rodney Mudd II with a lead off two-bagger. Two batters later, and a balk to push Vineyard to third,
Jacob Messina made it a 4-1 game with a double in the right center field gap to get the Tigers on the board.
UWA tacked on a second run in the frame as Messina scored thanks to a Tuskegee throwing error.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Tuskegee got ducks on the pond with one out, but back-to-back punch outs by
Jackson Wynn kept the Golden Tigers off the board.
Moving to the bottom of the seventh,
Albert Hernandez was given the baseball, and all he did was toss a three-up, three-down frame with two strikeouts, keeping the TU lead a 4-2 with six outs remaining for the UWA bats.
In the top of the eighth, after a free pass by
Houston Kitterman to start the frame, what was a tailor-made double play for Tuskegee went sideways really quick, as the third baseman threw the ball to right field, getting Kitterman to third base with nobody out.
After
Nick Thibodeau stole second base and a
Cade Horton free pass to load the bases,
Jack Beck made it a 4-3 game with a sac fly to score Kitterman. However, Tuskegee held West Alabama right there with a caught stealing at the plate.
After
Gates Pee worked a scoreless eighth, Mudd was back on the mound for Tuskegee looking for the complete game. With over 110 pitches entering the frame, he walked Messina and
Will Wood before the Golden Tigers pulled their starter.
Following a strikeout,
Kyle Vogler knotted the contest up at four with a first-pitch RBI single through the left side. Kitterman followed with a sac fly to give UWA lead for the first time in the game, 5-4.
Jace Dunsford came out for the save in the bottom of the ninth, and he mowed down the Golden Tigers in order for the victory.
Jacob Messina had a double, an RBI and scored two runs in the victory for the Tigers, while
Blake Vineyard and
Jack Beck each had a double.
The UWA bullpen kept Tuskegee off the board for the rest of the game after the third inning, allowing seven hits and striking out six batters.
Gates Pee (1-0) earned the win, while
Jace Dunsford earned his first save as a Tiger.
Rodney Mudd II threw 119 pitches and allowed 17 fly outs, but he suffered the loss, tossing eight-plus innings.
West Alabama will return home on Saturday to take on Valdosta State in a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. from Tartt Field.
