LAKELAND, Fla. – A late-inning rally spelled the end of the season for West Alabama baseball, as the Tigers fell 6-5 to Delta State in a walk-off loss during Friday's NCAA Division II South Region Championship elimination game at Henley Field.
West Alabama (32-25) held a 5-2 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, but Delta State (33-19) delivered four runs in the final frame to stun the Tigers and end their postseason run.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning with RBI hits from Bryce Newman and Will Wood, the Tigers' offense was quiet until the seventh. That's when Jake Goolsby stepped up with a clutch three-RBI double to right center, pushing UWA ahead 5-2.
Delta State, however, answered in the ninth. With two runners on, DSU's Dylan Coleman delivered a two-run single to make it 5-4, and moments later, Tyler Janos capped the comeback with a two-run single to center, completing the rally.
Joe Watkins led UWA at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored, while Goolsby's three RBIs paced the offense. Nick Wilson also reached base three times with a hit and two walks.
On the mound, starter Bryant Quimby tossed three scoreless innings, and Jacob Marshall logged 2.2 frames with two earned runs. Judah Buckner (2-1) took the loss after being tagged for four runs in the ninth.
West Alabama finishes the season with 32 wins, their most since 2017, and a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament, highlighted by a deep run to the regional elimination round.
