HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The University of North Alabama baseball team rallied from a 6-5 deficit in the seventh inning to pull out a 10-6 win over Alabama A&M. It was the Lions fifth straight win and pushes UNA's record to 28-15.
Down by a run in the seventh inning, UNA scored four runs on a two-run single by
Tate Mathis and a two-run home run from
Ben Cooley. The North Alabama pitching staff then shutout the Bulldogs over the final three innings to preserve the lead.
UNA jumped on top with a run in the first inning when
Davis Elliott reached on an error, stole second base and scored on a
Kyle Hubbuch RBI-single.
In the third, UNA added another run as
T.J. Lockett walked, stole second and later scored on a wild pitch.
Alabama A&M took its first lead of the day with four runs in the bottom of the third inning on three hits, four walks and two UNA errors. The A&M surge chased UNA starter
Shane Priest.
The Lions got a run back in the fourth as
Peyton Sockwell walked, stole second and scored on an RBI-single from Mathis.
UNA took a 5-4 lead with two runs in the top of the fifth.
Drake Tucker tripled and Hubbuch's 11th home run of the season put the Lions back on top.
The lead was short lived as A&M scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on the combination of a walk, a hit and another UNA error.
UNA's seventh inning rally beagn as Tucker singled, Hubbuch walked and Sockwell singled to load the bases. Mathis then drove in two runs with a single to give the Lions a 7-6 lead. Cooley's two-run homer extended the lead to 9-6.
The final UNA run came in the top of the ninth as Sockwell singled and scored on a
Chris Blakey RBI-single.
Dylan Stewart (1-1) got the win for UNA, pitching three and a third innings of relief. He allowed no runs and just one hit with two strikeouts. Priest pitched two and a third innings to start the game and gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits. He walked three.
Bradley Bailey pitched two innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on one hit with two walks. Following Stewart,
Jonathan Cook pitched one-third of an inning and
Channing Wall pitched a scoreless ninth.
North Alabama plays its final home series of the season Saturday and Sunday when the Lions host Christian Brothers in a three-game Gulf South Conference. UNA is currently in second place in the GSC standings with an 18-9 league record and has already clinched a berth in the upcoming GSC Tournament.
