CLEVELAND, Tenn. — No. 4 West Alabama battled through a long Saturday on the road, splitting a Gulf South Conference doubleheader against (RV) Lee University.
The Tigers claimed a gritty 5-4 victory in 11 innings in game one before falling 4-0 in game two, resulting in their first series loss of the season, 1-2.
West Alabama now sits at 32-11 overall and 21-9 in GSC play as the regular season enters its final stretch.
Game One: UWA 5, Lee 4 (11 innings)
The opener turned into a back-and-forth contest that required extra innings to decide, with UWA showing resilience throughout.
Lee struck first with two runs in the third inning, but the Tigers answered in the fifth, capitalizing on defensive miscues. An RBI fielder's choice from
Layth Holiday, a sacrifice fly by
Rashad Robinson, and aggressive baserunning highlighted by Holiday stealing home gave UWA a 3-2 lead.
After Lee tied the game in the sixth, the Tigers regained a 4-3 advantage in the eighth when Robinson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. However, Lee responded again in the ninth with a solo home run to even the score at 4-4.
The decisive moment came in the 11th inning. Following a leadoff double by
Tre Fulmer and a walk to
Tanner Jones,
Hayes Alford delivered the go-ahead RBI single through the left side, scoring the eventual game-winning run.
Tyler Pierce shut the door in the bottom half, tossing three innings to earn the win and improve to 5-0 on the season. UWA managed just six hits but drew 10 walks and took advantage of five Lee errors to secure the victory.
Game Two: Lee 4, UWA 0
The nightcap told a different story, as Lee controlled the game behind a strong pitching performance from Dylan Van Meeteren.
West Alabama managed only four hits in the contest, with
Nick Wilson leading the way with two. The Tigers threatened early but were unable to push a run across, stranding multiple baserunners.
Lee broke through in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly before adding three more runs in the fifth, aided by a defensive error that extended the inning. That was more than enough support for Van Meeteren, who tossed a complete-game shutout.
Colin Woodham suffered his first loss of the season on the mound, falling to 5-1.
Despite the series setback, the Tigers remain in position to compete for the GSC regular season title. West Alabama will return to action on Tuesday, April 21, hosting Spring Hill in a midweek matchup at 5 p.m.
The Tigers will then close out the regular season next weekend at home against Alabama Huntsville, with a chance to secure the conference championship. The series will also mark Senior Day Weekend, adding extra significance as UWA looks to finish strong heading into postseason play.
