VALDOSTA, Ga. – The West Alabama baseball team split a doubleheader against Valdosta State on Friday, securing a 5-2 victory in the first game before falling 6-3 in the second.
The Tigers move to 14-8 overall and 8-3 in Gulf South Conference play, while the Blazers stand at 11-10 (8-2 GSC).
Game One: West Alabama 5, Valdosta State 2
West Alabama jumped out to an early lead in the opening frame, plating four runs.
Blake Vineyard drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and
Fisher Moss followed with a three-run homer to right field.
Valdosta State responded in the third inning with an RBI double from Orlando Pena, but
Bryant Quimby held the Blazers in check through six solid innings.
The Blazers added a run in the eighth to cut the deficit to 4-2, but
Jake Goolsby provided insurance for UWA with a solo homer in the ninth.
Judah Buckner closed the game with two scoreless innings to earn the save.
Quimby (4-2) picked up the win, allowing one run on six hits with three strikeouts. Buckner recorded his third save, while Valdosta State's Zac Dodson (3-3) took the loss after surrendering four runs in six innings.
Game Two: Valdosta State 6, West Alabama 3
The Tigers struck first in the nightcap with a leadoff home run from
Joe Watkins in the first inning. However, Valdosta State responded immediately with an RBI single from Orlando Pena.
The Blazers steadily built their lead with a run in each of the next three innings, highlighted by a solo homer from Pedro Moreno in the fourth. They extended their advantage to 6-1 in the fifth with a solo shot from Pena and an RBI triple from Will Beckham.
West Alabama attempted a comeback in the sixth when Watkins belted his second homer of the game, a two-run shot, but the Tigers couldn't close the gap.
Maxwell Schumacher (1-2) took the loss after allowing three runs over three innings. Hunter Booth (3-2) earned the win for Valdosta State, striking out 10 over a complete-game effort.
West Alabama and Valdosta State will conclude the series on Saturday, March 8, at 12 p.m. with the time of the game subject to change. Stay tuned to @uwaathletics on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates.