FLORENCE, Ala. (February 21, 2026) – The University of North Alabama baseball team earned its second consecutive series win with a 12-2 drumming of Saint Louis that ended in seven innings on Saturday afternoon at Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium.
Junior designated hitter Tyler LePage went 4-for-4 on the afternoon with three RBI, two doubles and a home run — just one base away from the cycle for the first-year transfer.
This is the Lions second run rule win of the week as they defeated Murray State on Wednesday, 15-5. This is the first season since 2012 that UNA has opened with consecutive three-game series wins in the first two series of the year.
North Alabama (5-2) had one of its best offensive performances so far during the young season as the team had 12 runs, 14 hits, 12 RBIs, six doubles, a triple and three home runs.
The Lions had one game with four home runs (North Florida) and one with three home runs (Bellarmine) for the entire 2025 season. This season, however, the team has already accomplished this just in the past week with four against Murray State and three today against Saint Louis.
Luke Davenport earned his second start and second win of the year after he was limited to four innings due to pitch count; he had five strikeouts in the 18 batters faced. Justin Battle went the next 2.1 innings before Sawyer Toney shut the door to close the final two outs.
Saint Louis (0-6) took the early one score lead in the second before conceding seven runs in the third and fourth innings; the Billikens added one more run in the sixth.
The 14 hits were a season high for the Lions with a .467 average across the 30 at-bats. The six doubles are the most in a game since March 9, 2024 vs. UT Martin.
The four hits from LePage are an individual single game high. Dylan Coleman's four RBI, Petey Craska's three runs scored and LePage's two doubles fall under the same individual single game high category. Justin Santoyo homered for a second consecutive game — both the inaugural score of their respective games.
Davenport opened the game with a 1, 2, 3 inning before the Billikens came back in the top of the second with a run as a single through the left side gave them the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, the Lions decided to respond.
In the second at-bat, Santoyo bombed a 400-foot shot to right field. A couple of batters later, Craska single past a shifted infield on the left side to earn a bag.
Coleman then toasted the center fielder with the second pitch of his plate appearance, pushing the zooming Craska to home plate. A poor throwing error that ended in the North Alabama dugout gave Coleman the extra bag to create the 3-0 lead.
Nash Rippen smashed a ground-rule double to right field before Wes Walker had a shallow right field shot to tack on another as Rippen touched home.
Davenport went to work in the fourth as he struck out the first two swinging. The next two Billikens earned a spot on the bases with a single from the ninth hole was hit to left field.
As Rippen put it on a rope, Coleman cut off the play to catch the runner at home for the out as Walker made the tag.
In the bottom of the of the fourth, Jackson Westmoreland doubled to right center that narrowly escaped the near superman-like centerfielder. A ground out and sacrifice fly eventually scored Westmoreland to make it 5-0.
Craska earned another ground-rule double to deep center field, then Coleman sent the third pitch of his at-bat over the left-center wall for a two-run shot.
The Billikens hit for two singles to earn base position. Westmoreland had a double opportunity attempt, but SLU's runner did not slide which scored a runner and wiped away the chance at first; head coach Jad Prachniak had a word with umpires before the call stood.
North Alabama decided to clean the night up with a five-run sixth inning to push to a 12-2 score.
As Saint Louis opted for a new arm to start the inning, the first two batters walked before the first was caught stealing; the next was hit in his at-bat and the next walked to juice the bases.
Wes Walker launched one to left field that scored two before Rippen sat on third and he stayed put at second. LePage cleaned it up with his perfect day as his home run went 364-feet to put the nail in the coffin.
Battle struck out the lead-off batter in the top of the seventh before Toney caught the next swinging; the final batter popped out to Craska at first to conclude the game.
Pitchers of Record
W – Luke Davenport (2-0)
L – Noah Andrunas (0-1)
S – N/A
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama will go for the sweep against Saint Louis on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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