LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Softball team split their Saturday double header against the Lee Flames on Saturday, losing Game Two, 6-4, and winning Game Three, 6-2, to take the series.
Before Game Two of the series began, West Alabama (29-16, 18-12 GSC) honored their four seniors, Madison Wright, Marissa Mitchell, Taylor Clegg, and Riley Sullivan.
GAME TWO: Lee 6, West Alabama 4
Eleanor De Block got the start against Lee (23-24, 10-18 GSC) in Game Two and worked around trouble in the first two innings before the Flames got on the board in the third.
In the top of the third, Lee's Jarvi Alyson recorded a sacrifice fly, scoring Javaria Smith to put Lee ahead 1-0.
Jessica Rose led off the Tigers' side of the inning with a single but UWA left her stranded as the game progressed to the fourth.
In the fourth, West Alabama found themselves down four runs after Smith recorded a three-run double. The Tigers got a run back in the bottom half courtesy of an RBI-single from Sullivan, making it a 4-1.
Lee quickly made it a four-run game once again in the fifth as Ava Perkins registered an RBI-single. In the sixth, head coach Stephanie Defeo brought in Megan Roe to relieve De Block. The Flames pushed one run across on Roe to put West Alabama in a 6-1 hole with six outs to work with.
Olivia McClain Payne sparked the Tigers' in bottom half as the freshman ripped an RBI-double down the right field line, scoring Ella Watson. In the final frame, UWA fell just short of the comeback as Watson drove in Haley Shannon while Sullivan drove in Clegg with an RBI-double but that's all the runs the Tigers would score in the seventh as they fell, 6-4.
GAME THREE: West Alabama 6, Lee 2
Wright got the start in the series finale and threw a gem. The lefty went all seven innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out four.
UWA's offense granted Wright with three early runs of support in the first as Mitchell and Ann Marie Stanbridge both hit Home Runs to put West Alabama ahead 3-0.
Lee got on the board in the third, thanks to a solo shot from Perkins to make it a two-run game until the Tigers broke the game open in the bottom half.
Shannon and Trinity Hatcher singled while Mitchell walked to load the bases with no outs to begin UWA's side. Clegg, who registered her 200th career hit on Saturday, singled home Shannon before Sullivan accumulated her fourth RBI of the day, by driving in Mitchell and Clegg with a two-run single.
Now carrying a 6-1 lead, Wright mowed through the Flames lineup, not allowing a hit for the next three innings to take UWA's five-run lead into the seventh.
Lee finally broke through again in the seventh, pushing one run across, but Wright would go on to finish the job to secure a 6-2 Senior Day win to clinch the series.
Mitchell and Sullivan both recorded a game-high two RBIs while Shannon and Clegg produced two hits.
West Alabama will dip out of conference play on Tuesday for a 3:00 p.m. home double header against Miles.
