OXFORD, Ala. — Top-seeded and No. 11 nationally ranked West Alabama Tigers baseball saw its Gulf South Conference Tournament run come to an end Sunday morning, falling 7-1 to Delta State Statesmen at Choccolocco Park.
With the loss, West Alabama moves to 34-15 on the season and now awaits its postseason fate in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Selection Show, set for Sunday, May 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Delta State struck first in the second inning, capitalizing on a West Alabama miscue to take an early lead. A bunt single and throwing error allowed the opening run to score before an RBI groundout extended the advantage to 2-0.
The Tigers struggled to generate offense against Delta State starter Mason Shropshire, who held UWA to just one hit through the first seven innings while piling up eight strikeouts. West Alabama managed only three hits on the day and struck out 10 times as the Statesmen controlled the tempo throughout.
Delta State broke the game open in the fifth inning, plating four runs on a series of timely hits. A two-RBI double highlighted the frame before back-to-back run-scoring hits pushed the lead to 6-0. The Statesmen added another run in the sixth on a solo home run to extend the margin to seven.
West Alabama's lone breakthrough came in the eighth inning when
Diego Bryant delivered a pinch-hit RBI double down the left field line, scoring
Kyle Blevins and cutting the deficit to 7-1. The Tigers threatened to build on the momentum, drawing a walk, but could not push across any further runs.
Colin Woodham (5-3) was charged with the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) over 4.1 innings of work. The West Alabama bullpen combined to limit further damage after the fifth, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Nick Wilson and
Aaron Wallace each recorded hits for the Tigers, while Bryant's late RBI accounted for the only run of the game.
Despite the early exit from the conference tournament, West Alabama remains firmly in the postseason conversation with a strong overall résumé. The Tigers will now turn their attention to the national stage, awaiting their placement in the NCAA Division II Tournament field next Sunday night.
