Game 1 Box/Game 2 Box

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Shannon Goggins and Heather Shugart homered in the first game Friday afternoon as the University of West Alabama softball team took the opening contest against West Georgia 2-1 in nine innings on Senior Day, but dropped the second game, 11-0 in five innings as the Tigers split in Gulf South Conference action at the UWA Softball Complex.

In the opener, Emily White (10-16) pitched all nine innings for the Tigers, giving up a run (unearned) on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

West Alabama (26-33 overall, 5-19 GSC) broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning as Goggins drilled her 16^th home run of the season over the center field fence, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

White kept the Wolves at bay until the seventh inning.

Jamie Van Haltern reached on an error to begin the seventh. With one out, Erica Colee reached on a fielder’s choice as Amanda Bunting, who pinch ran for Van Haltern, was out at second. But Celia Petty doubled to the gap in left-center, plating Colee to tie the game at 1.

With the game tied at 1 in the ninth inning, Goggins lined out to third for the first out, setting the stage for Shugart. The senior connected on a Kacie Crider pitch that bounced on the yellow line and over the left field fence for the walk-off home run – her Gulf South Conference leading 21^st  home run of the season.

Crider (8-10) pitched 8 1/3 innings, giving up two runs (all earned) on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

In the second contest, Aubree Hudson (10-10) started on the mound for the Tigers, giving up nine runs (five earned) on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Brittany McGee worked 1 1/3 innings of relief, surrendering a run (unearned) on one hit with a walk. Amanda Bintz pitched the fifth, giving up a run on two hits.

West Georgia (32-30, 12-12) jumped out to a 2-0 in the first inning, but used a seven-run third to pull away from the Tigers.

In the third, Candice Brown walked to begin the inning and with one out advanced from first to third when Kim Weaver reached on a throwing error by Hudson and moved to second on the play. Adrienne Clay followed with a bases-clearing double to right center. Jessie Wise homered to right-center, giving the Wolves a 6-0 lead.

With two outs in the third, Paige Hanson walked and advanced to third on Colee’s double down the left field line. Both runners scored on a three-run home run by Petty. After a pitching change, Brown grounded out to second to end the inning.

 West Georgia added a run in the fourth and one in the fifth to get the 11-0 win.

Kate Thompson (17-10) worked five innings for the Wolves, giving up just one hit – an Alisha Berry base hit in the fourth inning. Thompson also had five strikeouts.