VALDOSTA, Ga. – The third-ranked University of West Alabama baseball team looked to avoid the three-game sweep on Sunday afternoon from Valdosta State, but a ninth inning rally fell short, as the Tigers (29-8, 5-4 Gulf South Conference) fell 8-7 at Billy Grant Field. The Tigers had not been swept since April 2005, when the Red and White dropped the series at North Alabama.

After the Blazers (23-10-1, 6-0 GSC) plastered five runs on the board in the eighth inning, UWA pulled within one run on Cory Houston singled to right center to score Clint Moody and Todd Rea.

The scoring began when Sho Kohata was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Daniel Muniz. Curtis Keegan followed with a single up the middle to score Chase Blackwood and Wes Hyman to give VSU its first lead of the contest at 6-5. Jon Koenigsfeld then singled through the right side to score Kohata. The final run of the inning came as Logan Pierce hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Keegan.

UWA posted three runs on the board in its first at bat, as the Tigers rattled off three hits. Jake DeRoy led the inning off with a single up the middle and moved up to second as a result of Jeremy Finney being hit by a pitch. Tres Avans followed with a single through the right side to score DeRoy for UWA’s first run. Todd Rea followed with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Finney. Clint Moody registered a single through the right side to score Avans and round out the scoring for the Red and White in the first inning.

VSU placed one run across the dish in the second inning and again in the third to narrow the Tigers lead to 3-2.

The Red and White plated two runs in the seventh inning to take 5-2 lead. Avans doubled to right center, as it scored Finney, who reached on an error, but Avans was erased on a throw from right field at third. Rea followed with a double of his own and later scored on a Nick Wheeler single to right center.

The three-run lead didn’t last long, as the Blazers tallied a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Kasey Nafzger (4-1) received the loss with only 1/3 innings pitched, allowing three runs and three walks.