DECATUR, Ala.
– The University of West
Alabama softball team started the UAH Chillout on Friday
with a pair of comeback wins against Southern Indiana
and Northern Kentucky. UWA extends its season-opening
win streak to seven games.
The Tigers (7-0) edged the Eagles of
USI, 3-2, in the morning session and followed that feat
by turning back NKU 6-4. The tilt with USI (0-7) went an
extra inning and the international tie-breaker rule was
used in the eighth inning.
Junior Jessica Powell scored the
winning run after being placed on second base due to the
tie-breaking rule. She stole third and was plated on
junior Lauren Mills’ bunt single. The Tigers got on the
board first with a solo home run by sophomore Kelli
Hartley in the second inning. The Eagles knotted the
game at 1-1 with a lead off round tripper from Dawn
McClellan in the fifth. USI took the lead in its next at
bat when McClellan punched a single to centerfield,
plating Hadley Clark, who pinch ran after Sara Loete led
off the frame with a walk. In their final plate
appearance trailing 2-1, the Tigers strung together a
bases loaded situation before catcher Ashley Edgar
grounded into a double play. With two outs, senior third
baseman Laura Bagwell came through in the clutch with an
infield single to score Angela Smith, who reached base
via a walk.
Senior Aubree Hudson (2-0) earned the
win after tossing three innings in relief of starter
Brittany McGee. McGee turned in five innings of work
along with a pair of strikeouts. Hudson fanned three and
allowed just one hit.
Against the Norse of NKU, UWA got off
to a rocky start and saw itself trailing 3-0 before the
Red and White scratched a run on the board in the second
inning. The Tigers’ bats came alive in the third,
putting together a four spot in the frame. UWA posted
four singles in the frame off the bats of Smith,
Bagwell, Hartley and Courtney Gordon. Gordon plated the
tying and go-ahead runs with her base hit. The Columbus,
Miss-senior led UWA at the plate, driving in three runs
on a pair of hits. Powell and Bagwell also had multiple
hit performances.
In the circle, junior Jessica
Cervantes (2-0) quieted the Norse after entering the
game in the first inning. She carded eight strikeouts
and allowed four hits and a pair of earned runs.
UWA returns to the diamond on
Saturday at 10 a.m. against Columbus State, who knocked
off No. 4 Barry in its first game of the day. The Tigers
close out day two of the three-day event against Augusta
State University at 2:30 p.m. Live stats will not be
available for the pair of games. Updates from the UAH
Chillout are available at -
