PENSACOLA, Fla. –
Trent Jeffcoat went 4-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and the walkoff single to score
True Fontenot as UWF defeated Auburn Montgomery, 9-8, to clinch the series at Jim Spooner Field on Sunday.
UWF (17-10, 12-3 Gulf South) won its 15th-consecutive regular-season conference series and captured its second 1-run game of the week. The Argonauts opened a 3-1 week with an extra inning win over UW-Whitewater at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Jeffcoat's heroics were necessary after AUM got a 3-run double from Caleb Beaver with two outs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 8-8.
In the home-half, Fontenot singled and moved to second on
Chris Johnson's sacrifice bunt. AUM chose to pitch to Jeffcoat instead of potentially putting him on and take their chances with
Cullan O'Shea in the two spot. That proved to be the wrong decision as the Argonaut shortstop capped a 7-RBI weekend with a ball in the left-centerfield gap to easily plate Fontenot, setting off a raucous dogpile in left field.
Fontenot broke out in a big way himself, pounding out a career-high four hits while also scoring twice and plating a pair. The sophomore second baseman reached base seven times in 10 plate appearances in the series.
Dilan Lawson improved to 2-0 as he earned the win while working two innings of relief.
Tyler Dowdy gave the squad a solid 5.1 innings as he allowed four earned runs on six hits.
"We had guys up and down the lineup with big hits today," UWF head coach
Mike Jeffcoat said. "Our guys showed their mettle and they were determined to win that game in the bottom of the ninth."
After AUM scored two in the first to open the game, UWF responded with three runs to take its first lead.
The Warhawks tied it with a run in the second and went ahead an inning later on a Caleb Beaver RBI single.
Then it was UWF's turn to regain the upper hand as the home team scored two in the third and single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
AUM loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth to set up Beaver's big hit.
AUM (18-12, 8-7) has 12 hits and was led by Jackson Ceman's 3-hit day. Beaver drove in four of the Warhawks' eight runs.
UWF will hit the road for the first time in a couple of weeks next Friday and Saturday for a 3-game series at Montevallo (22-8, 8-6). Friday's game will start at 5 p.m. with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.
