LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The third-ranked University of West Alabama baseball team improved to 17-4 on the season, taking two games from the University of Arkansas at Monticello on Wednesday afternoon. The Tigers blasted the Boll Weevils (0-17) 20-6 in the first contest, but had to come-from-behind to take game two, 9-8, in eight innings.

Fighting from eight runs down in game two, UWA found itself with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jeremy Finney stood at first after an intentional walk with Busbee at third and Avans at second, both were also walked. A wild pitch by relief pitcher Kevin Lienard allowed Busbee to score and give the Red and White the one run victory.

The Tigers began their rally in the fourth, scoring six runs to cut the lead to two. Kevin Deese hit a one out, double to left field and later scored on a Todd Rea triple to start the rally effort. After Nick Wheeler placed runners at the corners, Phillip Merryman singled down the left field line to score Rea. Chris Ransburgh tripled to center field scoring both Merryman and Wheeler. Jake DeRoy followed with a single up the middle to score Ransburgh and moved up to second on a Matt Busbee single up the middle. DeRoy advanced to third on a failed pickoff by the Weevil catcher and caped off the inning, scoring on a Tres Avans sacrifice fly out to left field.

Homeruns in the fifth and seventh innings knotted the contest, as Rea left the yard to right center and Wheeler hit a dinger to left center, his second of the day.

Brian Burgess (1-0) got the win with four innings of work, allowing three hits and fanning three Boll Weevils.

UAM, scored first in the contest, but the Diamond Tigers answered with nine runs in their first at bat to take a 9-1 lead in the contest. Wheeler hit his first homerun of the day to left field, scoring Avans and placing the Red and White up 4-1.

The Boll Weevils placed two runs on the board in the third inning, but another nine-run inning in the fourth inning for UWA blew the contest open. The Red and White added two more in the fifth inning to take a 20-3 lead. The Weevils placed three runs on the board in the sixth, but it would not be enough.

The Tigers recorded six hits in the contest, including four UWA batters recording multiple hits in the contest.

Josh Varner (4-0) pitched five innings in the contest, receiving the win. He allowed three runs on five hits, while recording seven strikeouts.