TAMPA, Fla. - Six-seeded West Alabama Tigers baseball saw its postseason run come to an end Saturday afternoon after falling to the three-seeded Rollins Tars, 5-2, in an elimination game of the NCAA South Region Tournament in Tampa, Florida.
With the loss, the Tigers conclude the 2026 campaign with a 35-17 overall record after advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
Rollins struck first in the bottom of the second inning, using a two-out rally to build an early advantage. Joey Rubin delivered an RBI double before Collin Hughes followed with an RBI single to give the Tars a 2-0 lead.
UWA answered in the fourth inning.
Nick Wilson singled through the left side and later scored when
Kyle Blevins reached on a fielder's choice, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
The Tigers tied the game in the fifth after
Layth Holiday drew a leadoff walk and advanced around the bases before scoring on a fielder's choice RBI from
Hudson Walburn.
UWA pitching kept Rollins off the scoreboard through the middle innings behind a strong relief appearance from
Brodey Walker, who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit.
The Tars regained the lead in the sixth inning after a throwing error allowed an unearned run to score, making it 3-2.
Rollins added insurance runs in the eighth inning after drawing multiple walks with the bases loaded. Michael Furry and Connor O'Sullivan each earned RBI walks to extend the lead to 5-2.
Offensively, the Tigers were limited to five hits in the contest. Wilson,
Rashad Robinson,
Austin Thacker,
Aaron Wallace, and
Tanner Jones each recorded one hit.
Baker Green made the start for UWA, allowing two runs across 2.1 innings. Walker followed with his scoreless outing before
Beau Bryant was charged with the loss.
Rollins reliever AJ Seymour earned the win after throwing five shutout innings while allowing just one hit out of the bullpen.
Despite the defeat, the Tigers wrapped up another strong season that included 35 victories, a Gulf South Regular Season Championship, a Gulf South Conference Tournament appearance, and a trip to the NCAA South Region Tournament.
