PENSACOLA, Fla. – The 11^th-ranked University of West Alabama baseball team split its Gulf South Conference doubleheader at West Florida on Saturday. UWA (24-10, 9-1) retaliated from a 5-3 setback at the hands of the Argos (26-16, 6-5) in the opening game by thumping UWF 9-1 in the night cap.

After two scoreless innings to start the second game of the twinbill, the Tigers posted four runs on the board in the top of the third. Dallas Rogers scored the first run of the game by scoring on a fielding error by UWF third baseman Lee Huggins. Nick Wheeler followed with a single and advanced all the way around to third as Brenton Goebal committed the second error of the game for the Argos. Rob Dahlberg and Jeremy Finney both scored on the miscue. Wheeler crossed the dish to cap the scoring on a Kevin Deese sacrifice fly to right field.

The Tigers didn’t rest on the four spot. After UWF plated it’s only run of the contest in the bottom of the third, UWA added two more runs in the fifth, as Clint Brown doubled down the left field line to score Deese and Dahlberg. The Red and White tallied three more in the sixth to claim the 9-1 victory. Finney hit a triple to straight away center field to score Rogers. Dahlberg was hit by a pitch and put runners on the corners for the Tigers. Wheeler singled to score Finney. Deese concluded the scoring output with a single up the middle to score Dahlberg.

Matt Hill (6-2) pitched his third complete game of the season, tossing all seven innings in the win. The D’Iberville, Miss-right hander allowed the one UWF run on five hits and fanned seven in the outing.

In the opening contest of the double dip, UWA held a 3-1 lead after two innings. The Tigers totaled two runs in their first trip to the dish. After Finney started the scoring, crossing home on a passed ball, Wheeler doubled down the left field line to score Dahlberg. The Red and White added another run in the second, as Finney drove in Douglas Frazier.

After the Argos plated one in the second inning, Blaine Ford singled through the left side in the third inning to force a 3-3 deadlock. The tie held until the sixth inning, when UWF scored two runs. Greg Pron drew a bases loaded walk to break the tie, scoring Brandon Brewer. The final insurance run for the Argos came on a Huggins sac fly to right field that scored Kyle Brown.

Josh Varner (6-2), who tossed three innings in relief, took the loss on the mound. The Brandon, Miss.-native allowed two runs on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts. UWA starter Mike Schmitt threw five innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits with five base on balls and one punch out in the outing.

The series resumes on Sunday with the rubber match. First pitch at Jim Spooner Field is set for 1:00 p.m. The game can be heard by clicking the UWA Baseball logo at www.MyWin98.com.