RICHMOND, Ky. (March 22, 2025) – The University of North Alabama baseball team won its second game over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (3-20, 2-3 ASUN) on Saturday evening, 5-1. The Lions set a season-high for stolen bases with six. Their previous high was two in three separate contests.
With the win, North Alabama wins its second straight Atlantic Sun Conference series and third series of the season. Last weekend, North Alabama took two of three from Central Arkansas and now sits with a 4-1 record in ASUN play.
The Lions (7-13, 4-1 ASUN) used four unanswered runs over the first five innings, while freshman Tripp Patterson pitched 6.1 shutout innings to earn his second win of the season.
Patterson faced 27 batters, where he threw 99 total pitches and 61 strikes on the day. He recorded three strikeouts in his six innings of work.
Billingsley, Delgado, Loving and Jenkins all recorded multiple hits in the game today. Billingsley added two runs, while Delgado notched an RBI. Loving recorded just the second triple of the season for the Lions and Jenkins had three RBIs; all came with two-outs.
The Lions strapped rockets to their cleats as they stole six bases today, two coming from Lane alone. In each of the St. Louis, Central Arkansas and UAB game, North Alabama recorded their highest stolen bag total at two. UNA tripled that total in today's game alone.
North Alabama hit .308 as a club today and with two outs, upped their game to .400. The 12 hits are the second most on the season, one shy of tying the most. The five RBIs are tied for the second most as a team while Jenkins three by himself tie for the most by a Lion in a game.
It was a quiet one to start in the first inning, as both teams recorded a hit and left one on base. However, like Friday night, North Alabama scored first.
Nash Rippen singled to center field before a Jonathan Lane ground out moved him to second base. Alex Wade then doubled, which put the two runners in scoring position. Senior shortstop Leighton Jenkins singled up the middle, scoring both and recording two RBIs for himself. He stole second while the next batter went down swinging to end the second.
Matthew Delgado singled and then stole second in the top of the third but was left on base after the third out.
Patterson, the typical Saturday starter, worked in the bottom of the third as he struck out two Colonels with one looking.
Bryant Loving singled up the middle on the fifth pitch of a 2-2 count. He stole second as Jenkins was at the plate. Two outs on the board, Jenkins singled to center field notching his third two-out RBI of the day while he extended the lead, 3-0.
Patterson worked out of a tight spot in the bottom of the fourth. He walked the first batter before Jenkins got the ground out at first. A fly out to centerfield gave the Lions a second out before the fourth batter was hit by pitch. That batter stole second, but the lefty struck out the final Colonel as he caught him swinging in a 2-2 count leaving two on base.
Ryker Billingsley led off the top of the fifth with a single to center on the second pitch of the count. Delgado sent one back out to the pitcher who got the senior transfer out at first. First baseman Petey Craska bombed one to center field for a double to score Billingsley, which created a 4-0 lead.
Patterson had more work to do in the bottom of the fifth. He walked the first batter after a full count. An EKU sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to scoring position. The next batter singled to Jenkins at short which put two on base.
A Colonel hit another to Jenkins who got the force out at second which put runners on the corners. North Alabama secured the final out from a fly ball to Billingsley in center.
The top of the sixth had some movement for the Lions. Loving stepped in as the second batter and on the first pitch sent it scorching into the gap of left center for a triple. However, North Alabama could not get him across the finish line before the third out.
EKU found their offensive rhythm in the bottom of the seventh as one batter doubled down the left field line and another singled to right center. With only one out, left-handed junior Gavin Oswald stepped to the mound to relieve Patterson after keeping the Colonels scoreless through six.
Oswald picked up where Patterson left off. With runners on the corners again, the junior struck out the first batter he faced in four pitches. Then Delgado caught the runner trying to steal second to finish out the inning.
Lane reached on a fielding error to begin the eighth and he would steal two consecutive bags bit cannot make it home before the final out.
The Colonels found some juice. They popped up to Craska at first before they singled down the right field line. Oswald struck out the next batter for a second out. Another single, this time to left center, put the first runner in scoring position at second.
EKU pinch hit for the next batter, which he singled to center field which led to their first run of the day. They elected for another pinch hitter but he grounded to Oswald for the easy out and to keep it 4-1.
Eastern Kentucky secured two straight outs in the top of the ninth. However, Billingsley singled to left center on is first pitch. As Delgado stepped up to the batter's box, Billingsley stole second. Delgado then singled into right, which scored Billingsley to add to the lead.
The 5-1 lead held up in the bottom of the ninth as EKU made things interesting. A walk and a hit batter put two on base but could not get the runners across as Oswald closed out the Colonels. He ended his day with three strikeouts in just over two innings of work in 12 batters faced. 28 strikes came in his 48 total pitches.
Pitchers of Record
W – Tripp Patterson (2-3)
L – Bradley Gagen (0-3)
S – Gavin Oswald (1)
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions play again tomorrow at 10 a.m. for the final game of the series. The game originally was slated for 12 p.m. but moved up due to chance for weather.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
