DECATUR, Ala. – The University of West Alabama softball team moved to 10-1 on the season with a two-game sweep on the final day of the UAH Chillout.  The Tigers overcame a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the seventh, topping Missouri at St. Louis, 6-4, and closed out the day by turning back Kentucky Wesleyan, 10-5.

With the 5-1 mark on the weekend, UWA is off to its best start after 11 games deep into the season.  The previous mark was 9-2 in 2005.  For the weekend, the Tigers hit at a .306 clip, scoring 29 runs off of 48 hits - 15 for extra bases, including eight home runs in the three-day event.  In the circle, UWA’s pitching staff allowed just three earned runs per contest in its 42.0 innings pitched over the weekend.

Sophomore Jessica Powell was the hero in the UWA final at bat win over UMSL.  The Tigers trimmed the deficit to 4-3 after Mary Wright scored on a wild pitch.  After the Tritons elected to intentionally walk Valisha Fincher, Powell drilled the game winning home run over the left field fence with two outs in the frame.  Powell drove in Angela Smith, who reached base with a single along with Fincher.  Prior to the four-run outburst in the final at bat, UWA put together a two-spot in the first inning for the early advantage.  UMSL took the lead with three runs in the third and added a run on the next at bat.  Senior pitcher Brittany McGee stymied the Triton offense in the final three plate appearances, allowing just three hits and striking out three in the circle.  The Demopolis, Ala-native picked up her second win of the season.  As a team, UWA punched out 10 hits, three coming in the last appearance at the plate.

In the final game of the day against KWC, the Red and White exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning, after trailing 4-3 after two complete innings.  UWA sent 11 batters to the dish in the fourth, pounding out six hits in the at bat, three for extra bases.  Senior catcher Ashley Edgar got things started with a solo shot to left field.  Sophomore Kelli Hartley and junior Lauren Mills posted back-to-back doubles followed by base hits by Emily White and Smith.  Junior Jessica Cervantes came in relief for starter White, tossing the final three innings to gain her second win of the weekend and third of the season. 

The Tigers return to the diamond next weekend, traveling to Jackson, Tenn. to face Lambuth University and Missouri Baptist University.  UWA will face LU on Friday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. followed by a 4 p.m. tilt with MBU.