LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Softball team took Game One of their series over Delta State on Friday, 9-8.
Ella Watson turned in the best performance of her young career on Friday as the freshman registered five RBIs, including a sixth inning Grand Slam to propel UWA (17-12, 8-8 GSC) over Delta State (10-13, 5-10 GSC).
Madison Wright was on the bump for the Tigers and breezed through the first inning, bringing Watson and the West Alabama bats to the dish in the bottom half. Ann Marie Stanbridge singled which was followed by Taylor Clegg reaching on an error to bring up Watson. The freshman singled home Clegg to put UWA on the board and later stole second, but one run would be all the Tigers would push across in the inning.
Delta State got on the board and took the lead in the second as Emma Collier hit a two-run homer before the Statesmen added another in the third courtesy of an RBI-single from Abby Cataldo.
After surrendering three runs through three innings, Wright got back on track in the fourth, retiring the side with relative ease. In the bottom half, West Alabama knotted the game at three after Riley Sullivan scored off a DSU error right before La'taviona Parke crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
The seesaw battle continued into the fifth as Delta State retook the lead after a sacrifice fly from Bailey Way.
The Statesmen's one-run lead didn't last long as the Tigers erupted for six runs in the sixth. Jessica Cross began the scoring, by driving in Parke and Sullivan to give West Alabama a one-run lead. Now up one, Sara Fargo and Clegg reached to load the bases for UWA until Watson cleared them with her first career Grand Slam.
Down five, Delta State nearly came all the way back as the Statesmen scored four runs in the final frame. With the score at 9-8 in favor of the Tigers, Megan Roe ended Delta State's comeback efforts to secure a one-run Game One win for UWA.
Watson finished with a career-high five RBIs while Parke and Stanbridge both collected two hits.
West Alabama will conclude their series against Delta State on Saturday with a double header set to begin at 1:00 p.m.
