CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The University of West Alabama picked up a doubleheader split against No. 14 Lee University in Gulf South Conference play on Saturday from Larry Carpenter Stadium at Olympic Field. After falling in the first game, 13-3, the Tigers rallied to take the series finale, 10-3.
After this weekend's action, West Alabama is 18-20 and 10-14 in GSC action. Lee, who is ranked 14th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), is 28-10 and 16-5.
GAME 1: Lee 13, West Alabama 3
The Tigers showed strong defense in the opening inning. After a lead off walk by Dylan Standifer, he was quickly erased on the next play via a double play.
In the second,
Roe Ketchum saw more trouble with after the two batters reached. However, he would get out of it on eight pitches to keep the Flames off the scoreboard.
The Flames finally got to Ketchum in the third, as Matthew Batts went yard to dent the scoreboard first.
Lee added on in the fifth inning with a five-run frame to extending the lead to 6-0.
West Alabama had been struggling with the offense in the series, only recording one hit and no runs in 12-plus innings. In the sixth, as Keegan Galigardo was 5.1 innings into a no-hit bid,
Blake Vineyard ended that with a bunt single down the third base line.
After a
Houston Kitterman walk to put runners on first and second,
Nick Thibodeau got the Tigers on the board for the first time in the series with an RBI single. Also on the play, Kitterman scored on a two-base error by Dylan Standifer.
Chase Dejean followed with an RBI groundout to cut the deficit in half, 6-3.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Flames got the three runs they allowed back in the bottom half of the sixth and added four in the eighth to put the game into run-rule.
Nick Thibodeau posted his ninth two-hit game of the year with a 2-for-4 day at the dish with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Tigers.
Josiah Miller led the Flames with three hits and four RBIs.
GAME 2: West Alabama 10, Lee 3
Thanks to a couple of hit by pitches and a single to load the bases,
Will Wood turned the lineup over, as he was plunked with a pitch to score
Ryan Fletcher to put UWA on the board first.
Bryce Newman followed up with a base knock up the middle to bring home two more and extend the lead to 3-0.
A pitching change and two batters later,
Houston Kitterman smoked a ball up the middle for an RBI knock for the fourth run of the frame.
Lee would not go away, however, as a three-run home run to right field cut the deficit to 4-3.
UWA did respond in the third, as a two-run single by
Cade Horton laced a knock to shallow left field. While
Nick Thibodeau scored easily from third,
Ryan Fletcher made it a 6-3 game scoring from second.
"I take pride in getting good reads, and I figured to push the envelope and make him make a good throw, and it worked out on us," said Fletcher.
The Flames threated in the bottom half of the frame as they have runners at first and second, but the Tigers went to the bullpen, and
Laney Keeton shut down the offense, recording an infield fly and Fletcher gunned down Matthew Batts at second base for the caught stealing.
After the defensive stop, the bats went right back to work for the visitors. After the Tigers loaded the bases on back-to-back hits by
Blake Vineyard and Kitterman and a Fletcher hit by pitch, the Flames made a pitching change. Bringing on Hunter Lane,
Chase Dejean welcomed him to the game with a bases clearing RBI double.
Horton followed with an RBI knock for his second hit of the afternoon to get the score to double figures.
"We got punched in the mouth hard in the first two games. Lee's got a great team and it shows why they are at the top in the league, but I got to tip my hat to our guys in game three putting up the big numbers in the final game," said head coach
Eric DuBose.
"We've gone across the league so far and have dodged the sweeps, and it gives us a chance to hang on for the conference tournament."
From there, Keeton and
Judah Buckner allowed no runs on just two hits in the final 4.2 innings of the game.
"The pound the zone; they attack hitters. They don't miss their spots often, and when they do, they flush it and go back at it," said Fletcher.
"That was the plan going into the seven-inning game. Laney has been performing well for us over the last month. He was able to piece it together for us today. Judah continued to do what he's been doing lately," added DuBose.
The Tigers were plunked six times in the second game of the twin bill, marking the fourth time this season they had six or more hit by pitches in a game.
Houston Kitterman led the Tigers with a three-hit game in the night cap.
Chase Dejean and
Cade Horton also had two hits and three RBIs each.
Josiah Miller added two more hits and three RBIs in the second game of the twin bill.
West Alabama will have a pair of midweek games on the docket next week, starting with a trip to Columbus State on Tuesday.
