CARROLLTON, Ga. – As thunder and lightning popped and rumbled around Cole Field at West Georgia, so did the 17^th-ranked University of West Alabama baseball team’s bats, as the Tigers (40-9, 11-5 Gulf South Conference) belted five homeruns in a 13-9 win.

Four different Tigers recorded homers in the contest, led by Tres Avans with two and one each from Rob Dahlberg, Jeremy Finney and Jake DeRoy.

The Tigers got on the board first behind a leadoff homer from DeRoy in the first inning. UWG took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a Nolan Childers two-run homer to left center, scoring A.J. Renfrow.

UWA responded with a five run, third inning. The Tigers put together five consecutive hits, including singles by Chris Ransburgh and DeRoy, a double from Finney, a triple from Dahlberg and a homerun by Avans. The Red and White added three runs in the fifth, including Finney’s first round tripper of the season.

After the Wolves cut the lead to 9-4 through five innings, the Tigers plated four in the sixth inning, including a two-run homer by Dahlberg and Avans second dinger of the contest, a solo shot to left field. The Wolves added five in the bottom of the sixth, but that would be all the scoring in the contest.

Mike Schmitt (9-1) picked up the win with six innings on the mound, allowing all nine runs on seven hits, while fanning five. Patrick Sorrells picked up his first save with three innings of relief, surrendering one hit and sitting down three UWG batters.

West Alabama returns to action on Sunday, April 27, as action from game two, which sees UWA holding a 7-2 lead through two and half innings, will resume at 12:00 p.m. Eastern with the finale scheduled to start thereafter. The games will be aired on 104.9-FM and athletics.uwa.edu.