LIVINGSTON, Ala. — No. 8 UWA Baseball delivered one of its most dramatic wins of the season Tuesday night, rallying from an early six-run deficit to defeat William Carey 16-9 in a four-hour, nine-inning slugfest at Tartt Field.
The Tigers (19-3) trailed 6-0 after just two innings but steadily chipped away before erupting for seven runs in the eighth inning to complete the comeback victory.
William Carey (17-7) jumped out early, scoring three runs in the first inning before a two-run home run by DeeJay Booth highlighted another three-run frame in the second to give the Crusaders the 6-0 advantage.
West Alabama responded in the third inning when Aaron Wallace launched a two-run homer to left field, scoring Hudson Walburn to cut the deficit to 6-3.
The Tigers continued to claw back in the fourth when Nick Wilson drove in a run with an RBI single to make it 6-4. UWA then took its first lead in the fifth inning behind clutch hitting from Austin Thacker and Walburn. Thacker delivered an RBI single before Walburn followed with a two-run single to put the Tigers ahead 7-6.
William Carey tied the game in the sixth on a sacrifice bunt and briefly regained the lead in the seventh after a walk and sacrifice fly made it 9-8.
UWA answered immediately in the bottom of the inning when Layth Holiday scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 9-9, setting the stage for the decisive eighth inning.
The Tigers exploded for seven runs in the eighth to break the game open. Kyle Blevins started the rally by reaching on an error that brought in a run to give UWA a 10-9 lead. Holiday followed with a two-run single to extend the advantage before Walburn delivered the biggest swing of the night, a bases-clearing triple down the right field line that pushed the lead to 15-9. Walburn later scored on a wild pitch to cap the seven-run frame.
Walburn led the Tigers offensively, finishing 2-for-6 with six RBIs, including the crucial three-run triple in the eighth inning. Wallace added a strong performance at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
Wilson also had a big night, collecting three hits and driving in a run, while Rashad Robinson scored three times and reached base four times.
Diego Bryant provided another key moment off the bench, blasting a solo home run in the sixth inning to give the Tigers an 8-7 lead at the time.
The game featured plenty of traffic on the bases, as UWA drew 13 walks and totaled 13 hits in the contest.
On the mound, Beau Bryant earned the win in relief after pitching a scoreless eighth inning, allowing just one hit while striking out one. Camden Lyke closed the game with a scoreless ninth to secure the victory.
West Alabama used nine pitchers in the contest, combining for eight strikeouts while working around 14 walks issued by the Tiger staff.
Despite the early deficit, the Tigers' offense proved relentless, scoring in six different innings and outscoring William Carey 16-3 after the second inning.
UWA will now turn its attention back to Gulf South Conference play this weekend against Montevallo, beginning on Friday, March 13th at 5 PM. After now having the best start in program history through 22 games.
