FLORENCE, Ala. – West Florida saw its 11-game winning streak snapped on Saturday afternoon with two losses to North Alabama. With the losses, UWF now stands at 19-6 with a 7-4 mark in the Gulf South Conference.
The series wraps up tomorrow with a single game beginning at 1 p.m.
Game 1: UNA 3, UWF 0
North Alabama jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first after Brooklyn Clark's team-leading fifth home run of the season. Though she faced some adversity early in the game, UWF's
Becca Taylor settled into a groove after allowing a leadoff home run that stretched UNA's lead to 3-0 in the second.
She retired the last 10 batters she faced, induced two inning-ending double plays and allowed only two hits in her last four innings of work. Taylor issued one walk in the first, ending her streak of 45 1/3 consecutive innings without giving a free pass. She has now walked just one batter in her last 53 innings.
The West Florida offense struggled to get things going against Hillary Carpenter.
Kathleen Smiley singled to left-center field in the second inning and tried to stretch it into a double, but she was caught in the act and out at second.
UWF threatened in the fifth, when
Emily Pettigrew led the inning off after being hit by a pitch. Freshman
Sara Spears was called upon to pinch-run for Pettigrew and moved up to second on a passed ball.
Kalyn Chapman drew a walk to put two on with no outs for
Chelsy Krantz, who laid down a bunt. Carpenter, however, made an aggressive play to third and her throw just beat Spears to the bag.
The next two batters were retired, and UNA escaped the jam without any damage done.
Chapman doubled down the left field line in the seventh, giving UWF just its second runner in scoring position on the day. But Carpenter was able to get groundouts from Krantz and
Caitlin Steel to end the game.
Game 2: UNA 7, UWF 3
Chapman started Game 2 in the circle against GSC wins leader Raven Cole. Chapman cruised through the first two innings, striking out two and allowing no hits. Trouble struck in the third, when UNA batters led off with a single and drew a walk before Reagan Tittle's three-run home run gave the Lions the lead.
UWF came back with a rally in the fifth, capped off by
Kathleen Smiley's bases-clearing double to even the score.
Jessica Wilkinson led the inning off with a single,
Rachel Wright drew her third walk of the game and
Rhiannon Sassman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs and two strikes on her, Smiley laced a two-bagger to right-center field.
Wright drew four walks in the second half of the doubleheader, and she scored on Smiley's double.
North Alabama bounced back to pick up two runs in the fifth and in the sixth. Runs in the fifth came in on a passed ball and a single through the right side, while UNA added insurance in the sixth with the same.
Despite tougher outings for Taylor and Chapman, their ERAs on the year still sit well below 2.00. Taylor ranks fifth in the conference at 1.71, while Chapman's is just behind at 1.76.
For information on all UWF athletics, visit
www.GoArgos.com.
