PENSACOLA, Fla. – A few individual plays made the difference in the doubleheader between West Florida (12-8, 1-4) and Alabama-Huntsville (14-6, 2-3) as the Argos and Chargers earned split results on the opening day of their series.
Both games were decided by a run, with UWF dropping game one to UAH 4-5 but coming back from going down three runs on two occasions to take game two on a walk-off RBI single from
Brianna Jennings. Jennings had four total at-bats on the season but has accounted for two hits and two RBI's in those at-bats.
The Argos faced some of the top pitching in the GSC in the UAH bullpen, but managed to put up the most runs the Chargers have allowed in a game all season in game two. UWF forced the No. 2 pitcher in the GSC in Grace O'Berry to allow a season-high four earned runs and forced two different pitching changes as the Argo bats continue to dominate in big moments.
It wasn't always pretty, but West Florida's pitching rotation of
Hannah Harper and
Montana Young assisted their fielders at the right times to keep UWF in the fight in both games. UWF stranded a total of 18 runners in the combined games, with ten UAH runners being stranded in the Argo's game two win.
Erin Moon had a season-high three hits on four at bats, including two doubles to add to the GSC-leading total for the Argonauts. She also had a single, a run, and an RBI in her total for game one.
Jessie Baughan continues her dominance at the plate, adding her ninth home run of the season in game two. This ties her for second in the conference and keeps her in the top ten in all of DII softball.
Game 1: UWF 4, UAH 5
UAH added one run per frame through the first three innings to start off game one, but the Argos pulled the lead back to 2-3 after
Erin Moon scored
Emma Brice on an RBI double and a fielding error brought in Moon.
UWF stranded one runner in the fourth but went down in order in the bottom of the inning. UAH extended the lead to 4-2 off a solo home run in the top of the fifth.
Gianna Guerriero tripled to center field and was then brought in on an
Emma Brice RBI groundout to bring it back within a run, 4-3.
An unearned run off a fielding error once again hurt the Argos' comeback efforts, as the lead was extended to 5-3 in the top of the fifth.
Emma Brice came up huge at the plate for UWF again this season, homering to left center to bring UWF within a run for the third time. Moon singled to put the tying run on, but a strikeout ended the seventh and sealed the Argos' game one defeat.
Game 2: UWF 9, UAH 8
UWF once again found themselves in a hole to start the second game, as the Charger's Sadie Thompson hit a 3-RBI home run in the second inning to put the Argos down 0-3.
UWF wasted no time in climbing back out of the deficit, taking a 4-3 lead by the third inning with a Baughan 2-RBI home run followed by an
Erin Moon RBI single scoring Guerriero and a
Hannah Harper that scored Moon.
Alexa Douthitt homered to left field for UAH, driving in two more runs and taking the lead back for the Chargers 5-4. In the fourth, and RBI groundout for Guerriero scored Baughan to tie it at 5-5.
The resiliency of UWF was put to the test when the Chargers' Maddie Cartron hit a 3-RBI homer to left to put UAH back up 8-5 in the sixth inning. Once again, UWF relied on their bats and tied it back up in the bottom of the sixth on
Jessica Ford's fifth home run of the year and a sacrifice RBI flyout by
Emma Brice. UWF stranded two runners in the top of the seventh to keep it tied 8-8.
Finally in the bottom of the seventh inning, Jennings' big moment came when she was called to pinch hit in place of
Maddie Treutlein.
Hannah Harper tripled to left field to set up the winning run, and Jennings battled with UAH pitcher Jessie Cole to a full count. With the payoff pitch, Jennings singled to left field to drive in Harper and take the 9-8 walk-off for UWF.
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Game three decides the series for the Argos and the Chargers tomorrow. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. CT at the UWF Softball Complex.
Keep up on West Florida Softball by following @UWFSoftball on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
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