LIVINGSTON, Ala. - No. 5 West Alabama Tigers baseball split Saturday's doubleheader with the Montevallo Falcons but still captured the weekend series with a 5–2 win in Game 1 before falling 4–3 in Game 2 at Tartt Field.
The Tigers move to 21–4 overall, taking the series 2–1 over Montevallo.
Game 1 – West Alabama 5, Montevallo 2
West Alabama jumped on the board early and leaned on solid pitching to secure the opener.
The Tigers struck in the first inning when Rashad Robinson scored on a Montevallo throwing error after reaching base earlier in the frame. Moments later, Nick Wilson blasted a two-run homer to left field, bringing home Austin Thacker and giving UWA a quick 3–0 lead.
Montevallo answered with solo home runs from Hollon Brock in the third inning and Evan Radford in the fourth to cut the deficit to 4–2.
Robinson added insurance for the Tigers in the third inning with a solo shot to left, extending the lead back to three runs.
West Alabama tacked on its final run in the eighth inning when Wayne Wilkerson lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Hudson Walburn to score and push the lead to 5–2.
On the mound, Blake Westry delivered another strong outing, earning the win after tossing five innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five.
Thomas Kerby worked three scoreless innings in relief before Camden Lyke shut the door in the ninth to record his second save of the season.
Wilson led the Tigers at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while Robinson scored twice and added a solo homer.
Game 2 – Montevallo 4, West Alabama 3
The nightcap proved to be a tighter contest, with Montevallo capitalizing on early miscues to grab the lead.
The Falcons scored three runs in the second inning, all unearned, using a pair of errors and a sacrifice bunt to build a 3–0 advantage.
West Alabama chipped away in the fifth when Tanner Jones delivered an RBI single to bring home Hayes Alford, trimming the deficit to two.
The Tigers rallied in the sixth inning to tie the game. Robinson and Thacker reached base to start the frame before Hayes Alford was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run. Kyle Blevins then drew a walk to plate another, evening the score at 3–3.
Montevallo broke the tie in the eighth inning. After two walks and a sacrifice bunt moved runners into scoring position, Hollon Brock reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Ian Cartwright to score the go-ahead run, giving the Falcons a 4–3 lead they would not surrender.
Reliever Matthew Bullard shut down the Tigers over the final innings to secure the win for Montevallo.
Despite the loss, West Alabama received solid contributions offensively from Wayne Wilkerson, who went 2-for-4, while Jones drove in a run and Robinson and Thacker each scored.
Even with the split Saturday, the Tigers secured the series victory, continuing their strong start to the season. West Alabama's pitching staff limited Montevallo to six hits in each game, while the Tigers' offense produced timely power and situational hitting throughout the weekend.
The Tigers will look to carry that momentum into their next matchup as they travel to Montevallo to take on the Falcons in a non-conference midweek game on Tuesday, March 17th at 5 PM.
