FLORENCE, Ala. (March 7, 2025) – For the second straight season, the University of North Alabama Softball team hosted a multi-team round robin at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium. The Lions opened the three-day tournament with a 6-0 win over Detroit Mercy and a 9-1 mercy rule victory over Louisiana-Monroe.
 
UNA rides a seven-game win streak into Saturday — and all seven wins have been at home. The Lions, who entered the D1 Softball rankings at No. 21 this week, improve to 17-3 overall this season. UNA is also ranked No. 32 out of over 300 teams in the NCAA Division I RPI.
 
Detroit Mercy falls to 2-11, while ULM falls to 15-10.
 
Like most UNA games this season, a dangerous combination of hitting and pitching produced lopsided results. This season, the Lions have won 10 of their 20 games by five or more runs, including both games today and four of the last six.
 
In the circle, starting pitchers Alivia Wilken and Emily Simon were both credited with quality start victories. Wilken twirled her second complete game shutout of the season, allowing just two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Simon closed the night with just one unearned run allowed over six innings, allowing just two hits with three strikeouts.
 
UNA outhit its opponents 21-4 in the two games.
 

Game 1 — North Alabama 6, Detroit Mercy 0
 
Wilken was the star in the circle, while fellow Wallace State Community College product Laura Leigh Wheeler shined at the plate with a perfect 3-for-3 day. She had two of UNA's six RBIs in a 6-0 win over Detroit Mercy.
 
Wheeler tacked the first run of the game on the board with an RBI double to bring home Hailey Jones. Jones doubled her way on with a shot into the gap, while Wheeler rode one deep off the right field wall.
 
Wilken was cruising in the circle, tallying six of her 10 strikeouts in the first three innings. She struck out three in a row in both the first and third innings. In the bottom half, sophomore Briley Dover smashed a homer into deep center field.
 
Senior Ryleigh Boyett continued her strong stretch of games with an RBI double in the fourth to make it 3-0. She is riding a five-game hitting streak, including four multi-hit games in that span.
 
A three-run sixth inning started with a solo homer from Wheeler, continued with Natalie Shaw driving home a run the hard way with a bases loaded hit by pitch, then ended with a sac fly at the left field warning track from pinch hitter Emma Kate Wright to score Boyett.
 
Three straight flyouts ended the game.
 
Wheeler went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer, while Boyett added a single and double. Dover, Jones and Katie Davis accounted for the other hits. Davis moved into the leadoff spot for game two — her first time in that role this season.
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Alivia Wilken (6-1)
L –  Paige Keown (1-5)
S – None
 

Game 2 — North Alabama 9, ULM 1 (6 innings)
 
UNA had a trio of three run innings while Simon pitched a two-hitter in a 9-1 thumping of Louisiana-Monroe.
 
The Lions outhit ULM 13-2 with six players recording multi-hit days. Those six include Dover, Wheeler, Boyett, Jorja Roberson, Gyvan Hammons and Bayleigh Rouse. The latter two were perfect at the plate with a walk and two hits in three appearances.
 
The Lions did not back down from the challenge of a Sun Belt opponent, nor the challenge of a tight strike zone. Simon allowed a run before she even allowed a hit, as a runner reached on an infield error then three straight walks brought in a run. The tactical pitching eventually paid off, as Simon did not allow another run and the offense aided her with an early walk-off.
 
A throwing error on a throw down from the catcher to third base allowed Wheeler to score first, then the go-ahead run crossed on a double by Rouse to bring home Boyett. Rouse scored on a sac fly by Shaw.
 
The lead increased three-fold in the third inning with a two-RBI double by Boyett and a double down the line in the next at-bat by Roberson. However, UNA stranded the bases loaded to end the threat.
 
The final nail came in a sixth inning rally, as the Lions brought five batters to the plate without an out. All five reached with four singles and a hit by pitch to a scorching hot Boyett. Roberson's single, which could have been a multi-base hit, ended the game in walk-off mercy rule fashion.
 
Today was UNA's sixth mercy rule win of the season.
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Emily Simon (6-2)
L – Dakota Lake (6-3)
S – None
 

COMING UP NEXT

UNA returns Saturday at 1:30 p.m. to host Samford, followed by the nightcap at 6:30 p.m. against Detroit Mercy.
 
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