MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The University of West Alabama baseball team concluded its 2009 season with a hard fought, 13-9 loss to top-seeded Southern Arkansas in the third day of the NCAA Division II South Regional. UWA finishes with a 38-16 record.

The SAU leadoff batters reached base in the first three innings and gave the Muleriders an early 3-0 advantage as all scored. UWA tied the game in the bottom of the third inning with three runs. Rob Dahlberg started the scoring with a two out, RBI single to Bryan Mason, who led the inning off with a walk. Back-to-back doubles from Brian Simone and Kevin Deese knotted the contest. The Blue and Gold regained the lead at 5-3 with solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings, capped by Cannon Lester’s solo homer to left center.

Dallas Rogers drove in the next two runs for the Red and White, forcing another deadlock in the sixth inning. Rogers led off the bottom half of the fifth with a solo homer to left center and then followed one inning later with a RBI single through the right side to score Douglas Frazier. SAU again answered with two runs in the seventh to take back the lead, but the Red and White clawed back within one run again in the bottom of the inning on a Deese solo shot to right field. The homer gave Deese the single season homerun title with 17 on the year.

UWA squeezed in another run between a pair of three run innings for SAU. The Tigers attempted a late inning rally in the ninth, scoring two runs. Frazier scored the final two runs of the game with a two out, double up the middle, scoring Simone and Nick Wheeler.

Colter Millican (2-1) received the loss with 6 1/3 innings on the mound, giving up six runs on six hits with five walks and two strikeouts. J. B. Black, Carrick Tuck and Brian Burgess tossed the final 2 2/3 innings in relief, allowing a combined seven runs and six hits.

SAU improves to 51-10 on the season and will face the winner of Valdosta State and Tampa on Sunday, May 17.

The loss is the farewell to five seniors, Dahlberg, Wheeler, Jeremy Finney, Mike Schmitt and Matt Hill, who helped guide UWA to back-to-back NCAA Division II Baseball Regional appearances and two straight Gulf South Conference Tournament berths.  The departing seniors also finish their careers as members of the 2009 GSC East Division Championship club.