FLORENCE, Ala. (March 21, 2026) – The University of North Alabama baseball team secured the series over Eastern Kentucky with an 8-5 win on Saturday at Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium.
The Lions have now won three consecutive series over the Colonels dating back to last season. After today's game, UNA has seven wins over EKU in program history — six have come in the last two seasons.
This is the third series win of the season for UNA and the first conference series win in just the second weekend.
North Alabama (10-13, 3-2 ASUN) delivered 10 hits for the afternoon slate, improving to a 6-2 record when hitting said threshold.
A hero of last night, Will Millard, went 3-for-5 with a double and a run on Saturday. Junior Bryant Loving had the best bat of the game with the 3-for-4 day that saw two runs, an RBI and a home run — the first for him this season.
Sophomore starting pitcher Tripp Patterson earned his first win of the season with his quality start. He exited in the top of the eighth with a stat line of 7.0 innings pitched, a strikeout and two runs; he threw 58 strikes in his 89 total pitches.
Justus Agosto took the hill in the ninth with bases loaded and earned a strikeout and the save to close out the game.
Eastern Kentucky (7-16, 2-3 ASUN) had four errors in the game and two errors that helped two Lions plate in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pedro Moreno led the Colonels as he went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
The Lions batted .270 on Saturday and coupled it with four strikeouts — the third-lowest in a game this season. Saint Louis and SIUE both had only one strikeout in winning efforts. UNA totaled four two-out RBIs and hit .429 with two outs on the scoreboard.
Three home runs were blasted today from Nash Rippen, Wes Walker and Loving. This is the third game of the season with three or more homers and the ninth multi-home run game. This gives UNA a share for an Atlantic Sun Conference-best 30 homers for the year.
Rippen extended his on-base streak with his home run to 20 while Millard now stands at 18. Infielder Jackson Westmoreland has eight straight games with a hit, the longest on the team.
A sunny, 79-degree Saturday afternoon saw the buzz and excitement of Friday's walk-off spill over into Saturday.
Fans and spectators skipped into Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium in anticipation for a potential series win on Saturday.
A walk opened the game for EKU but UNA bounced back quickly with two ground outs. Millard then caught the runner trying to take third to clean up the inning.
Two straight outs before Dylan Coleman walked in the bottom of the first. Rippen then cranked his eighth home run of the season over the Josh Willingham Hitting Facility in right center to get the early 2-0 score.
The Colonels got one back in the third inning after an opening walk that led to a triple in the next at-bat to make it, 2-1.
North Alabama saw two more straight outs in the bottom of the fifth before Millard singled over the third baseman's outstretched glove in the bottom of the fifth.
Walker took the first pitch to left field that kept carrying, right over the right field wall to extend it 4-1.
EKU homered in the top of the sixth for the 4-2 deficit.
However, Loving answered the call for the Lions. In a six-pitch full count battle, the center fielder put it in the netting above "Mike's Mountain" in left field to make it 5-2.
After Patterson concluded his time for the day, Toney took the bump in the eighth. A walk and home run made it a 5-4 game after the first two at-bats.
The Colonels put three runners on after two Toney strikeouts. He forced the foul territory pop out to Millard near the plate to eliminate the opportunity.
Loving started the eighth with a hit to make it to first. Leighton Jenkins laid down a bunt that caught the EKU catcher, pitcher and first baseman in a near Bermuda triangle situation — Jenkins safe at first.
Eastern Kentucky changed pitchers. In the next at-bat, Westmoreland walked after a full count.
Petey Craska grounded out to first base but drove in Loving from third to add one, 6-4.
Coleman then hit one to shortstop who threw to first for the force out — Jenkins scored from third.
The play did not pause there. The first baseman threw to third to try and catch a sliding headfirst Westmoreland — the ball sailed which gave way to another score, 8-4.
Then stepped out head coach Jad Prachiniak to talk with the umpire.
After a brief discussion, the umpires huddled together.
The trio broke, pointed towards first and signaled that Coleman was safe — the first baseman pulled his foot from the bag, creating another error.
EKU was not going down without a swing in the top of the ninth.
A single from the lead-off man got one aboard. Then one walked before another did to juice the diamond.
Agosto toed the rubber with zero outs and the tying run at the plate.
The right-hander worked quickly with three straight strikes to sit down the first batter faced.
The next batter laced one to Craska who knocked it down and pitched to a speeding Agosto at first — a run crossed to cut it, 8-5.
Both runners in scoring position, the tying run digging into the box.
One foul ball, then called strike. Fans rise to their feet as the Mike starts to feel with the aforementioned anticipation.
The Colonel hit a hard ball through the right side — in between Westmoreland and Craska.
Westmoreland sprints towards the gap and dove with his glove extended.
Snagged. The second-baseman rises to his feet, flips it to Craska and lets out a yell as he marches on to celebrate with his team.
Pitchers of Record
W – Tripp Patterson (1-3)
L – Jacob Price (2-2)
S – Jutus Agosto (1)
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama can sweep the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
