FLORENCE, Ala. (March 8, 2026) – Junior infielder Briley Dover and senior outfielder Laura Leigh Wheeler were the undisputed heroes for the University of North Alabama softball team on Sunday, hitting a pair of walk-off homers to complete a doubleheader sweep of Detroit Mercy at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium.
The Lions (17-4) improve to 7-0 at home and have won 12 of the last 13 games.
However, these two wins did not come easy.
In each of the last two seasons since starting this yearly two-game series, Detroit Mercy (3-13) has been able to come in and take one of the two from UNA. This time, the Titans took a lead into the final half inning of both games and were less than three outs away from victory.
In the afternoon opener, Detroit Mercy led 4-2 heading into the final inning, leading in the hit column and limiting the Lions to just three hits in the first six innings. UNA came alive in the seventh with a pair of singles to set the table for Dover's walk-off to left-center.
The second game brought more of the same, except UNA took seven hits into the final inning. Detroit Mercy still possessed a 3-2 lead, clinging to it after two outs and two singles in the bottom of the seventh. This brought up Wheeler in the cleanup spot, and the Sulligent Slugger drilled a no-doubt homer to deep center for the win.
Fifth-year senior Alivia Wilken highlighted the circle with her third consecutive win. In three matchups against Detroit Mercy the last three seasons, she has just three walks and 21 strikeouts, including seven today. All four UNA pitchers successfully appeared in the two wins.
Senior Gyvan Hammons scored on both walk-offs Sunday while extending her hit streak to nine games. She has also reached in 16 straight games. Her hit streak ties junior Bayleigh Rouse for the longest active streak among Lions.
UNA is now 4-2 in the all-time series with the Titans.
Game 1: North Alabama 5, Detroit Mercy 4
Down 4-2 with two on and one out in the seventh, Dover smashed a three-run homer on the second pitch she saw in a 5-4 walk-off win for the Lions. According to Dover, the first pitch was one she wished she would have tried to hit, but the next one was just as friendly.
That homer scored both Hammons and true freshman Livy Huter, who started the seventh with a pair of singles. Hammons also scored on Wheeler's walk-off in game two.
Speaking of Wheeler, she got the party started in game one with an RBI double to score Dover and make it 1-0 in the opening frame. The Titans tied it up in the second and took the lead in the fourth on RBI hits from Natalie Babcock. Wendy Ketola made it 3-1 with a solo homer in the fifth.
Down 3-1, UNA cut it back to a one-run deficit with a double by Dover to score Katie Davis, who came in to run for Natalie Shaw after she reached on a free pass. Detroit Mercy scored another in the sixth before Kaylee Snyder came in during the tight-game situation. Snyder got three straight outs. She allowed a two-out single in the seventh, but nothing else to keep it at 4-2.
This is when Huter hit an infield single to reach first, then moved up on a groundout. Hammons put runners on the corners with a single to right field, representing the tying run. That's when Dover ended things in dramatic fashion.
Senior Rylee Tittle got the start and pitched a solid outing, allowing four runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts over five innings. This allowed Snyder to come in and keep the bats at bay long enough for a comeback.
Dover, Hammons, Wheeler, Huter and freshman Karley Moreland all had at least one hit in the opener. Moreland, a former Brooks standout, got the start at second base for the fifth straight game.
Pitchers of Record
W – Kaylee Snyder (3-1)
L – Erin Flynn (1-7)
S – None
Game 2: North Alabama 5, Detriot Mercy 3
After playing heroes in the opener, Hammons and Dover both reached on one-out singles in the bottom of the seventh in a 3-2 deficit. First baseman Holly Merritt, who had homered in the sixth, rode another one to center field — this time in the glove.
With two outs and a 1-2 count, Wheeler blasted a homer into the centerfield bleachers for a second straight walk-off victory. The Sulligent Slugger was previously 0-for-3 in this game before coming up clutch down to her final strike.
As for the first game hero, Dover went 3-for-4 with three singles and a stolen base. She was joined by Huter with two hits for her third-career multi-hit game. Another key moment came from sophomore catcher Emily Matthews, who collected her first career hit with a double in the third.
UNA deployed both aces for the nightcap, with an undefeated Katie Simon pitching the first two innings. The Titans were able to do what most teams haven't against Simon, scoring two early runs in the first two innings. She then handed the ball to Wilken for the final five.
Wilken kept Simon's unbeaten 7-0 record in tact with five brilliant innings, allowing just one run and one hit with one walk and seven strikeouts. After Wilken's first scoreless inning, UNA had a sacrifice fly from Merritt to make it 2-1 in the third. Detroit Mercy added one in the fifth to make it 3-1. Merritt homered in the sixth to make it 3-2 before Wheeler finished the comeback.
Savannah Schultz, who had two hits as the designated player in the opener, pitched the entire second game and held the lead for most of it. She helped her own cause with the solo homer that made it 3-1 at the time. Two swings of the bat resulted in four runs to spoil her outing.
Pitchers of Record
W – Alivia Wilken (6-3)
L – Savannah Schultz (2-5)
S – None
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions ride a seven-game win streak into Tuesday's marquee matchup against Ole Miss. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium. Fans can get tickets by calling 256-765-5466 or by clicking at this link.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
