LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama softball team took down Spring Hill College, 4-2 and 12-1, in a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon, while completing a halted contest from March 7, taking the 4-3 victory in nine innings.
HALTED GAME: West Alabama 4, Spring Hill 3 (9 inn.)
UWA and SHC started the day by finishing up a contest from March that was played in Mobile. When the umpires called the game off, the score was tied 3-3 with a runner on first and no outs in the top of the seventh.
The Tigers and Badgers exchanged blows on defense after the restart, with both teams keeping each other off the board through eight innings.
Ann Marie Stanbridge gave West Alabama the advantage, 4-3, with a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning.
Madison Wright closed the door on Spring Hill in the bottom of the inning, striking out the final two batters to clinch the win.
Wright retired five batters from the circle in relief of starter Eleanor De Block.
GAME ONE: West Alabama 4, Spring Hill 2
After an Emily Cowart leadoff single, Kelsie Gilliam got things rolling for the Tiger offense in the bottom of the third with an RBI triple to go ahead 1-0.
Two batters later Taylor Clegg kept the foot on the gas, smashing a two-run homer over the left field wall to make it a 3-0 contest.
Bailey Cox got the Badgers on the board in the top of the fourth, scoring off an infield error.
After an Emily Cowart five-pitch walk and a Kori Young hit-by-pitch to start the bottom of the fifth quickly got two runners on base, a Gilliam groundout plated the fourth run for the Tigers.
A McKenzie King leadoff double made it a two-run contest 4-2, with an RBI single in the top of the seventh.
Madison Wright and the Tiger defense forced the Badgers into two flyouts to secure the win.
Kelsie Gilliam and Taylor Clegg led the way with two runs batted in apiece.
Madison Wright (18-7) went the distance in the circle, striking out five batters in seven innings pitched while allowing only three hits.
GAME TWO: West Alabama 12, Spring Hill 1 (5 inn.)
Ann Marie Stanbridge started a five-run parade in first inning with a three-run shot over the left center wall.
Kelsie Gilliam reached home off a sacrifice bunt to give UWA a 4-0 advantage.
Kori Young tacked on run number five with an RBI single.
The Tigers continued their hot start in the second inning by scoring four more runs. Riley Sullivan started the rally with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Emily Cowart kept the offensive clinic going for West Alabama, extending the home team's lead to 7-0 with an RBI single.
Young added on two more runs with her second RBI single of the day the following at-bat.
Spring Hill got on the board, 9-1, in the third inning with a solo home run from Macy Holt.
The Tigers put the game away in the bottom of the fourth. After a Tyalor Clegg sacrifice fly, Marissa Mitchell followed with a two-run single to make a 12-1 ballgame.
Despite the Badgers reaching on a throwing error, Eleanor De Block settled in and retired the final three batters to seal the run-rule win.
Ann Marie Stanbridge and Kori Young led the way with three RBIs.
Sara Fargo posted her first multi hit outing of the season, going two-for-three from the batters box.
West Alabama moves to 28-14 on the year, while Spring Hill falls to 20-18 overall.
UWA will take on Alabama Huntsville in its final home series of the season beginning with a doubleheader on Friday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m.
