PENSACOLA, Fla. – A strong first inning set the tone for the University of West Florida softball team in its conference-opener against West Alabama on Friday evening. Senior pitcher Kelsey Sweatt started the game by striking out the side and junior Teala Howard hit a leadoff home run in the bottom half of the inning, in a game that UWF won 10-5.
 
The Argonauts improved to 4-3 and 1-0 in the Gulf South Conference with the win, while West Alabama fell to 4-3 and is 0-1 in GSC play. The series wraps on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 pm at the UWF Softball Complex.
 
Howard, Mika Garcia, and Kara Wilson each had two hits in the game, and Sweatt improved to 3-1 after allowing just three hits and striking out seven over seven innings. Sweatt also retired the first six batters she faced in the contest.
 
Though UWF held the 1-0 lead through two innings, West Alabama jumped ahead in the third on a two-run home run from Kendall Johnson – but that UWA lead would not last long.
 
In the bottom of the third, Wilson drove in Howard and Morgan Zettle who led off the inning with a pair of singles, giving UWF a 3-2 lead. The Argonauts added another run in the fourth when Chelsea Dumas – pinch-running for Jacquelynne Poling after a leadoff walk – scored on a passed ball, giving UWF a 4-2 advantage.
 
West Florida blew the game open in the fifth with a four-run inning. Angela Agurkis hit a pinch-hit RBI double, scoring Wilson, and Agurkis and Ally Merrill scored on back-to-back passed balls, stretching the lead to 7-2. Dumas followed with her first career home run – a moonshot over the center field fence and put UWF ahead 8-2.
 
UWA struck back again in the sixth with another roundtripper, from shortstop LP Trammell, but it wouldn't be enough. West Florida got an RBI single from Garcia that scored Howard, and a pinch-hit sacrifice fly from Madilynne Webb that scored Garcia, giving UWF the final 10-5 lead.
 
As a reminder, University of West Florida athletics has increased attendance to 25 percent capacity for all softball home games at the UWF Softball Complex. Tickets are $7 for general admission, $5 for seniors, military members, and visiting students, and free for UWF students, UWF faculty and staff, and children under 6 years old.


Face coverings and at least six feet of social distancing will be required by spectators and staff at the UWF Softball Complex. All other COVID-19 visitor compliance guidelines must be followed.  
 
For the latest information on the UWF Softball team, fans can visit GoArgos.com/Softball or follow the team @UWFSoftball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.