HUNTSVILLE
– Lindsey Bates collected six hits and Sarah
Whitlow had two home runs as the University
of North Alabama softball split a road
double-header at the nation’s top-ranked
Alabama-Huntsville Saturday afternoon. The
Lions scored two runs in the top of the
eighth inning to take the first game 6-4 and
earn the program’s first-ever victory over a
No. 1-ranked team. The Chargers rebounded in
the second game by taking an early 3-0 lead
en rout to a 7-2 win.
UNA (13-12
overall, 2-4 GSC) will travel to face NAIA’s
fourth-ranked Trevecca Nazarene on March 25.
First pitch is set for 4 p.m. in Nashville,
Tenn.
In the first
game against UAH, the Lions jumped out to an
early lead with three runs in the top of the
first inning, then held off a pair of
Charger rallies to secure the win. After an
RBI-single by Bates, two more runs scored on
a double by Jennifer Sharp to make the score
3-0.
After UAH
answered in the bottom of the second with
three runs of its own to tie the score,
Whitlow led off the fifth inning with a solo
home run to put the Lions back on top. The
Chargers, however, responded in the bottom
of the sixth on an RBI-single by Kelly
Prater to even the score at 4-4.
Following a
scoreless seventh inning, Whitlow again came
through for the Lions in the eighth with a
two-run homer. Megan Niesel (7-4) was able
to retire the next three batters in the
bottom of the winning to earn the pitching
victory for UNA. The junior scattered eight
hits and struck out two in eight innings of
work.
Bates finished
the first game 4-for-5 at the plate with an
RBI, while Whitlow drove in three runs on a
2-for-5 showing. Lindsey Greene also went
2-for-4 in the first game.
In the second
game, it was the Chargers that raced out to
the early lead and held on for the win. UAH
scored three runs in the bottom of the first
inning and the Lions were never able to
recover. UNA out-hit the Chargers 8-7 in the
contest but could not find the timely hit as
UAH improved to 30-5 on the season.
Kendall Moore
led UNA with a 2-for-3 performance,
including an RBI in the second inning. Bates
also had two hits in game two. Anna Ard
(2-6) suffered the loss on the mound after
pitching the first two innings for the
Lions.
Printable Game
Statistics - UAH - Game 24
Printable Game
Statistics - UAH - Game 25
