LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The 12-1 University of West Alabama softball team returns to the diamond this weekend, March 6-7, participating in the 2009 Wolves Invitational, hosted by the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga.  Live stats will not be available this weekend.

The Tigers open the two-day event on Friday at 10 a.m. CST with a tilt with NCAA Division I opponent, IUPUI, followed by a pair of match ups against teams from the Peach State.  UWA will face Augusta State at Noon and close out the day versus Georgia College and State at 2 p.m.  The ASU contest will be the second time UWA has faced the Jaguars of ASU this season.  The Red and White blanked ASU, 4-0, at the UAH Chillout.  On Saturday, UWA will face off with Georgia Southwestern and Florida Southern.

The 2009 ballclub earned the distinction of the best start to a season in the program’s history last Monday with a sweep of Judson College.  UWA downed JC 11-3 in the opening contest and routed the Eagles 24-0 in the night cap.  The 24 runs scored tied a school record and became the largest margin of victory in UWA laurels.  In 1992, UWA topped UWG, 24-1.

Sophomore Kelli Hartley leads the Tigers at the dish with a .439 batting average along with being the team leader in hits, RBIs and runs scored.  Senior shortstop Courtney Gordon is tailing Hartley with a .436 mark at the plate.  Gordon has turned in seven multi-hit games and six multi-RBI affairs.  In the circle, three of the four Tiger hurlers sport under a 2.00 earned run average – Emily White, Jessica Cervantes and Brittany McGee.

Following this weekend’s activity, the Tigers will start a six-game homestand on Monday, March 9, welcoming Lambuth University to the UWA Softball Complex.  The start time of the UWA-LU twinbill is set for 3 p.m.  UWA continues home action on Thursday, March 12, against in-state foe Miles College.  The Tigers open the Gulf South Conference slate on Friday, March 13, against UWG.