TAMPA, Fla. - The University of West Alabama Softball team split their Friday double header against No. 10 Tampa, winning Game One, 5-2, and losing a heart breaker in Game Two, 6-5.

Off the strength of Madison Wright, West Alabama (4-3) handled 10th ranked Tampa (3-1) in Game One and were three outs away from completing the sweep in Game Two until the Spartans rattled off six runs in the seventh inning.

GAME ONE: West Alabama 5, Tampa 2
Haley Shannon began the game with a lead-off single before Ann Marie Stanbridge drove her in via an RBI-Single, giving UWA a 1-0 lead. Wright got the start for West Alabama and shut down the Spartans in the bottom half of the inning as the Tigers took their one-run lead into the second. 

In the top of the second inning, Ella Watson drew a one out walk and was driven home two batters later courtesy of a double from Jessica Rose. Up 2-0, the Tigers weren't done in the inning as Taylor Clegg registered an RBI-Single of her own, scoring Rose to extend West Alabama's lead to three.

Tampa couldn't touch Wright on the mound as the lefty retired six straight Spartans with three being strikeouts before her offense gave her more run support in the fourth. Rose continued her stellar day for the Tigers as the freshman executed a safety squeeze that scored Jessica Cross, putting UWA up 4-0. 

Now working with a four-run lead, Wright breezed through the bottom of the fourth and fifth, adding three more strikeouts to her ledger along the way. On the flip side, the West Alabama bats went back to work with Watson and Trinity Hatcher leading the sixth off with a pair of singles. Moments later, Shannon brought Watson home with an RBI-Single to extend the Tigers' lead to five.

Tampa pushed two runs across in the final frame but Wright sealed the deal, registering her second win and complete game of the young season. Wright's win in Game One on Friday was also the 50th of her career. 

Shannon finished with a game-high two hits and one RBI while Rose finished with a game-high two RBIs. On the mound Wright finished with a line of 7.0 IP, 5 H, 10 SO, 0 BB, 2 R, 2 ER.

GAME TWO: Tampa 6, West Alabama 5

Eleanor De Block got the start in Game Two and was masterful through the first six innings. De Block carved through the Spartans early, allowing three hits through the first four innings to keep Tampa scoreless. 

The Tigers' offense struggled to get going against the Spartans' Gwen McGinnis, resulting in a scoreless game as we progressed to the fifth inning.

West Alabama got their offense going in the top of the fifth. With two outs and nobody on, Shannon recorded a bunt single while Clegg drew a walk, bringing up Mitchell. UWA's star Second baseman delivered a massive two-run triple to put the Tigers ahead 2-0.

While De Block continued to deal through the sixth, West Alabama added three more insurance runs in top of the seventh. Hatcher began the inning with a bunt single while Cara Rankin reached on a Tampa error. With runners now at the corners, Hatcher scored off a passed ball before Mitchell drove in Rankin via an RBI-Single. The Tigers continued to pour it on in the inning as Stanbridge ripped a double off the left field wall, scoring Mitchell to give West Alabama a 5-0 lead as the game progressed to the bottom of the seventh.

Three outs away from an impressive road sweep, things started to falter for De Block and the Tigers. Tampa loaded up the bases on De Block and the junior surrendered back-to-back bases loaded walks before the Spartans' A.Russo recorded a three-run double to tie the game at five. Now tied at five with a runner on second, West Alabama made a move to the bullpen, bringing in Megan Roe with Kelsey Winters stepping into the box for Tampa. Winters delivered a walk-off single as UWA fell 6-5 in Game Two.

West Alabama will now travel to Saint Leo for a double header against the Lions on Saturday, beginning at 12:00 p.m.