MOBILE, Ala. (February 21, 2026) – Solid pitching has been the theme of the last three wins for the University of North Alabama softball team, as the Lions are off to a 3-0 start at this weekend's South Alabama Invitational with two more wins Saturday over Loyola Chicago and West Georgia.
UNA is now 9-3 on the season and rides a four-game win streak into Sunday.
Following a 7-0 shutout win over Loyola Chicago yesterday, the Lions and Ramblers ran it back Saturday morning. UNA trailed 1-0 in the fifth inning before going on a six-run rally to take a 6-3 victory — securing the two-game sweep of the Ramblers.
Thirty minutes later, UNA played classic rival West Georgia in a non-conference neutral site game between Atlantic Sun Conference foes. Senior pitcher Alivia Wilken went the distance and handed over a goose-egg for her 12th career shutout in three seasons. The offense did enough for a 5-0 win over the Wolves.
UNA improves to 8-2 in neutral site games this season and has one more tomorrow against UT Martin. Meanwhile, the Lions close tomorrow with a road game against South Alabama. UNA is 1-1 on the road.
Over the first three games of the South Alabama Invitational, the Lions are outscoring opponents 18-3 and are outhitting opponents 30-14.
Game 1: North Alabama 6, Loyola Chicago 3
Senior Rylee Tittle engaged in a pitcher's duel against true freshman Anna Kiel from Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers held a 1-0 advantage heading into the fifth inning, but homers by Bayleigh Rouse and Briley Dover rallied UNA to a 6-3 win.
Dover finished 4-for-4 in the contest, including three singles. This avenged yesterday's hitless game against Loyola, which snapped an 11-game hitting streak for Dover. After today, Dover has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 games dating back to last season.
Tittle pitched 6.0 innings with three runs allowed — two earned — for her best outing of the season. The quality start included no walks and three strikeouts. She is now 1-0 on the season with her first win as a Lion. Tittle transferred over from UT Martin this offseason.
Loyola (6-7) struck first in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Kiel, who helped her own cause as the pitcher. Kiel had four shutout innings until the UNA offense began to figure her out. The go-ahead homer came with one out in the fifth, as Dover singled her way on and Rouse drove one over the left-center wall.
Tittle stranded a pair in the sixth with back-to-back flyouts.
With a 2-1 lead in the bottom half, Dover provided tremendous insurance with a three-run homer. Seniors Jorja Roberson and Gyvan Hammons had singles to put runners on beforehand. The 5-1 lead grew one more after a double by Laura Leigh Wheeler led her to score on an RBI single by reigning ASUN Player of the Week Holly Merritt.
Down to the final three outs, Loyola attempted a rally and reached three hitters in a row on two singles and an error. Tittle left with a 6-2 lead and sophomore Kaylee Snyder entered to close it out. This was a save situation with the tying run on deck — two on and nobody out.
After an RBI single from Snyder's first batter, the sophomore took care of business by inducing a double-play and getting a lineout to Merritt. The double play went from Rouse to Merritt on a tag of third and a throw to first.
Snyder's save was the first of her career.
Five Lions joined Dover with multi-hit days, including Roberson, Merritt, Rouse and Hammons with two hits apiece. Wheeler and junior Emma Kate Wright also added a hit to give the offense 14 hits. This was one shy of UNA's season high set in last week's win over Belmont.
Pitchers of Record
W – Rylee Tittle (1-0)
L – Anna Kiel (1)
S – Kaylee Snyder (1)
Game 2: North Alabama 5, West Georgia 0
After Katie Simon had the first shutout for UNA yesterday, Wilken decided to follow suit.
The fifth-year senior from Buckhorn High School mowed through the West Georgia lineup with just three hits and one walk allowed over 7.0 innings. The offense scattered five runs, including two in the opening frame, to secure the 5-0 victory.
Wilken needed just 88 pitches for the shutout win, striking out four hitters. This marks her 12th career shutout with nine as a junior in 2024 and two in 2025.
The UNA offense had nine hits in this game with two from Merritt and two from Rouse. Over the last two weeks — seven games — Merritt has risen her average from .385 to an even .500 with 19 hits in 38 at-bats. Not only is she on a seven-game hit streak, but she is also on a four-game multi-hit streak with two hits in each of the last four games.
Merritt was responsible for the go-ahead run early in the game, singling home Dover after she, Rouse and Wheeler loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored Wheeler to make it 2-0 before West Georgia escaped the inning. Merritt struck again in the third with a sac fly to bring in Dover again.
Wilken did her part in the circle, retiring all but four hitters over the first six innings. She stranded three of those in scoring position. This gave UNA a chance to add insurance in the sixth and seventh with Hammons hitting a sac fly to bring in freshman Livy Huter. Huter came back around in the seventh inning and brought home Merritt with a fielder's choice.
UWG reached one in the seventh on an error, but a pop-up and two strikeouts salvaged the shutout for Wilken.
Pitchers of Record
W – Alivia Wilken (3-2)
L – Cacie Cutright (1-3)
S – None
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions will wrap up in Mobile tomorrow with back-to-back games against UT Martin at 11:15 a.m. and South Alabama at 1:30 p.m. The South Alabama game will be streamed on ESPN+.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
