LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The 20^th-ranked University of West Alabama baseball team rallied in both contests of the Sunday doubleheader to sweep Valdosta State. UWA (23-8, 8-0 GSC) claimed the opening game 6-5 and then out-slugged VSU (25-13, 2-4) 12-11 to complete the sweep. The wins extended the Red and White’s win streak to 12 games.

Trailing 3-0 through six innings in the first game, the Tigers posted a six spot on the board in the seventh inning to take a 6-3 lead. After Jeremy Finney drove in the first run of the inning with a single to right field that scored Sam McCormack, Rob Dahlberg doubled to center, scoring Finney and Bryan Mason. Nick Wheeler pushed Dahlberg across the dish with a single up the middle. Kevin Deese completed the scoring in the inning with a homerun to center field that scored Wheeler.

VSU looked to rally in the top of the ninth, plating two runs on a Brandon Decker single to right field, but the Red and White staved off the Blazer rally, retiring Austin Smith.

Dom Sapp (1-1) picked up the win with only 1/3 of an inning pitched. Brian Burgess earned his sixth save of the season with 2/3 of an inning pitched, allowing two hits and one strikeout.

VSU posted nine runs in its first at-bat, but UWA began to chip away at the Blazers’ lead. The Tigers totaled two runs in the first inning and one more in the second before exploding for nine runs in the third inning to take a 12-9 advantage. Wheeler doubled to right field to score Dahlberg to start the scoring. Two batters later, Clint Brown singled up the middle to score Wheeler. With the bases loaded Dallas Rogers logged a base hit to center field to score Brown and Douglas Frazier. Mason scored on the play as the VSU catcher sailed the ball into center trying to erase Rogers. Wheeler then hit a homer to left center to score Dahlberg and Finney to cap the scoring in the inning.

The Blazers attempt at a rally fell short after posting two additional runs in the sixth inning.

Josh Ashley (1-0) picked up his first win of the season with four solid innings on the mound. Ashley allowed two runs on four hits with a season-high eight strikeouts. Colter Millican earned his first save of the season with an inning in relief.

West Alabama returns to action on Wednesday, April 1, as UWA travels to Auburn Montgomery for a single, nine inning game. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.