PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida softball team fell to No. 23 North Alabama in the weekend series finale 8-3 on Sunday. With the loss, UWF fell to 10-8 on the year, and Tiona Hill recorded her fifth multi-hit game of the season.
 
North Alabama got off to a quick start against Sarah Maloney, who lasted 1.1 innings, giving up four hits and three runs. Reagan Tittle and Marissa Hancock each singled to left field in the first inning and gave UNA a 2-0 lead. Likewise, West Florida got reigning Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week Hannah Bodenhorn in trouble early on, but struggled to make use of the damage done. Bodenhorn also lasted just 1.1 innings.
 
Bailey Nelson scored in the top of the second for the Lions, and the bases were loaded with just one away when Becca Taylor entered the game for UWF. With trouble looming, Tittle hit a sharp liner up the middle that was caught by a diving Meghan Toney, saving valuable runs early on. Taylor then struck out Shelby Woodard to end the threat and take West Florida to the bottom of the second down 3-0.
 
Hill led off the inning with a single down the left field line, and Rachel Wright drew her first walk of the day to put two runners on for Caitlin Steel. After Steel dropped down a sacrifice bunt to put the runners in scoring position with one out, Sara Spears drew a walk and Hill came across to score on an illegal pitch, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
 
Following the run, Hillary Carpenter entered the game for UNA and retired the side.
 
Hill struck again in the third, making the score 3-2 with a single down the right field line to score Rhiannon Sassman, who led off the inning with a walk. With the walk, and a later single, Sassman stretched her on-base streak to 18 games.
 
Taylor and Carpenter turned the game into a pitcher's duel for the next couple of innings, as Taylor sat down 12 of the first 14 batters she faced before surrendering a single to start the sixth.
 
In that sixth inning, however, North Alabama stretched the lead to 7-2, with a three-run double from Shelby Gilliam.
 
Hannah Shollenberger put another run on the board for UNA in the seventh with a single, and Kathleen Smiley gave UWF another run with a single up the middle to score Jacey Castro, giving the final score of 8-3.
 
UWF will host Barry and Nova Southeastern on Tuesday and Wednesday at the UWF Softball Complex. Tuesday's doubleheader will begin at noon, and games on Wednesday will begin at 3 pm and 5 pm.