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Sunday: Live Stats/Video
 
April 9, 2016
  
PENSACOLA, Fla. – An extra-inning nail-biter in Game 1 and dominant performances on both sides of field in Game 2 allowed the University of West Florida baseball team to sweep Saturday's doubleheader against the University of West Alabama Tigers extend its winning streak to 12 games.
 
With a pair of wins today, West Florida sits at 26-11 overall while owning an 18-5 GSC mark. West Alabama now owns an identical 26-11 overall record, however sits three games back in the conference standings with a 15-8 league record.
 
Game 1: West Florida 7, West Alabama 6 (10)
 
Brandon Nagem made his first series-opening start since Feb. 19 and had some early struggles, as West Alabama centerfielder Nick Delgado was able to scrounge up three RBI in the game's first three innings to give UWA an early 3-0 lead. West Alabama was able to score another run in the fourth to create a 4-0 advantage.
 
The Argonauts began to chip away in the home half of the fourth, as Ladeavon Matthews and Nic Strasser were able to record back-to-back RBI singles to cut UWA's lead in half.
 
UWF faced a 5-2 deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth, however the 9-1 duo of Matthews and Strasser pulled through once again as Matthews scored Robert Lopez on a 4-3 groundout and Strasser was able to reach base and score Nick Kerkmann on an error by West Alabama third basemen Mitch Holgate.
 
Kyle Hamner came through in a monumental way in the seventh, hitting a solo home run—his second of the year—to tie the score at 5-5. The long ball extended Hamner's hitting streak to 22 games, which gives the senior catcher the second longest hitting streak in program history.
 
In the early stages of extra innings, things looked dismal for UWF as UWA's Delgado continued his big day with an RBI triple to give the Tigers a 6-5 lead.
 
The RBI triple was merely a speed bump for the Argonauts, as the squad was able to respond quickly with a lead off double off the bat of Hamner. Matt Sullivan pinch ran for Hamner, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Lopez. Kerkmann, who saw his first game action since March 6, converted in a pivotal moment by scoring Sullivan on an RBI single through the left side of the infield.
 
With a 6-6 tie, back-to-back walks gave the Argonauts a bases-loaded, two-out situation. Alex Greene worked UWA closer Austin Sanders to a 3-1 count, before ultimately taking ball four and allowing Michael Savas to score the game-winning run on a walk-off walk.
 
Nagem finished his day throwing four innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking none. Anthony Mazzurco provided three innings of solid relief, allowing just one earned run on three hits, while Jarrod Petree earned his third win of the season by allowing just two hits in his three innings of work.
 
All nine members of the UWF starting lineup recorded at least one hit, highlighted by Justin Ambrosino who posted his seventh consecutive multiple-hit performance after going 4-for-5 in Game 1. Matthews led the team with two RBI in a 2-for-4 showing, while Jimmy Redovian, Nick Kerkmann and Hamner each added two hits apiece.
 
The win provided UWF its fifth come-from-behind victory, fifth walk off victory and fourth extra-inning victory of the season.
 
Game 2: West Florida 7, West Alabama 1
 
Walker O'Connor tossed all seven innings for the Argonauts in Game 2, allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out six West Alabama hitters. Between the last out of the top of the fourth and the first two outs of the top of the fifth, O'Connor recorded three of his six strikeouts consecutively.
 
UWF moved to 20-4 when scoring first as the Argonauts jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Alex Greene was able to reach on an error to score Nic Strasser.
 
UWA was able to even the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, however it did not take the Argonauts very long to break the game open as UWF utilized a six-run fifth inning to put the game out of reach.
 
Justin Ambrosino started the big inning for UWF with an RBI single to centerfield, extending his hitting streak to a personal season-best nine games. Michael Savas followed in a pinch-hit situation with an RBI single to left to score Strasser, while Robert Lopez added two more to the scoreboard with an RBI single of his own. Ladeavon Matthews recorded an RBI via a sacrifice fly, scoring Savas, before the inning was capped with Lopez being able to score on a wild pitch.
 
All seven of the West Florida's hits were scattered to amongst seven different hitters in the UWF lineup. Lopez led the team with two RBI in the contest.
 
Notes
 
West Florida rides a 12-game winning streak, its best since the team had a 12-game winning streak from Feb. 9 2014 – March 9 2014. Should the team win tomorrow, it would be the longest winning streak for the program since the 2011 team's 22-game streak that ran from March 6, 2011 - April 16, 2011.
 
West Alabama, who has been ranked as high as No. 3 nationally, suffered its sixth consecutive setback after dropping both ends of Saturday's doubleheader. It is the longest losing skid for the Tigers since the team lost seven consecutive games to end the 2014 season.
 
West Florida is now 11-6 on the season against teams ranked in the South Region's top 10, including having won six of its last seven games against regionally ranked opponents.
 
In the GSC standings, UWF owns a one-game lead over Delta State as the Statesmen split a doubleheader against Shorter on Saturday. Valdosta State jumped West Alabama in the conference standings after splitting a doubleheader against Alabama Huntsville.
 
Six runs has been a magic number for the Argonauts this season, as UWF moves to 17-0 when scoring six or more runs this season after scoring seven runs in both games of today's doubleheader.
 
Justin Ambrosino recorded a team-high five hits in Saturday's doubleheader, as the junior first basemen went 5-for-8 at the plate. Ladeavon Matthews led the team with three RBI, while Nick Kerkmann ended his month-long layoff with a 3-for-7 performance with an RBI.
 
UWF looks to add more cushion to its lead in the GSC standings tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., as the Argonauts will try to break out the brooms and clinch its 13^th-straight victory in the series finale against the Tigers. Pensacola native and winner of his last four starts JT Granat will start on the mound for the Argos.
 
To stay updated on the UWF baseball team, follow the team on Twitter @UWF_Baseball. For information on all UWF Athletics, visit GoArgos.com.