FLORENCE – College baseball season has just started but already the University of North Alabama is showing that they are a force to be reckoned with. The Lions have had a tremendous first week plus, going 7-3 over their first 10 games including, most recently, a 2-out-of-3 series win over West Georgia.
Game one of the three-game series did not go the way the Lions wanted as they were somewhat embarrassed, dropping the series opener 13-1 to the Wolves, but they got a measure of sweet revenge in games two and three.
The second game of the double-header saw UNA down to West Georgia 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh, but from the very first batter, the Lions had redemption on their minds.
Leading off the seventh with a single, Heath Wood got the offense going for UNA. Hayden Holt soon joined him on the base paths by drawing a walk. Kyle Crabtree was the third Lion to make his way safely on base, via a fielder's choice. Wood was the first to cross the dish, scoring on a double play. This put UNA's back to the wall with two outs and down 2-1 as Kevin Hall strode to the plate and stepped in the batter's box. Most players would see a pitch or two in the situation, but not Hall. He liked the first pitch he saw from West Georgia reliever Mitchell Mannino and crushed the offering over the fence and into the win column as UNA got their first win in the Gulf Coast Conference 3-2 in walk-off fashion.
A mere 24 hours later the Lions found themselves entangled in another nail-biter with West Georgia. Going into the eighth inning, UNA was down 4-1 and on the verge of losing the series, but Connor Kiser and Kyle Hubbach came up big with solo and two run shots, respectively.
After scoreless ninth and 10th innings, UNA started the 11th with a leadoff single from Dylan Calhoun. He was moved to second on a two-strike sacrifice off the stick of Taylor Hayes. The next batter up was Davis Elliot who promptly ripped a game winning, walk-off single to give UNA the win, the series and their second walk-off win in as many days.
With the series win, UNA improves to 2-1 in the GC Conference and a healthy start to their 2016 baseball campaign.
For more information on UNA baseball, visit http://qrne.ws/una.
