FLORENCE, Ala. -- Complete-game pitching performances from
Maci Birdyshaw and
Hannah Price and a three-run walk-off home run from
Georgia Land helped the University of North Alabama softball team sweep a double-header from Western Michigan, 3-1 and 8-0.
The Lions, now 12-1 on the season, will host the Broncos at noon on Sunday at the Hilda B. Anderson Softball Complex for the final game of the series.
UNA allowed its only run of the day in the first inning of game one but rallied to tie the game with a run in the bottom of the first.
Felicity Frame and
Sidney Bevis both singled to open the inning and Frame scored on an RBI-single by
Hailey Jones to make it 1-1.
Neither team would score again until the bottom of the sixth inning. Birdyshaw retired 12 straight batters at one point and did not allow another Bronco hit until the top of the sixth. In UNA's half of the sixth,
Mckenzie Patterson was hit by pitch,
Georgia Land singled and Rylett Boyett moved them up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Patterson scored on a ground out by
Holley Files to give UNA the lead, and Frame drove in an insurance run with a RBI-single.
Birdyshaw pitched 7.0 innings and allowed one run on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
In the second game, Price worked out of trouble in the first, fourth and fifth innings and was aided by two double plays.
On the offensive side, the Lions got three runs in the first when Frame singled, Bevis reached on an error and they both scored on a double by Land. A double by Patterson then drove in Land to make it 3-0.
The Lions continued to lead 3-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning.
Taylor Brown was hit-by-pitch and
Jaiden Farnetti ran for her. Fame and Bevis singled to load the bases and one run scored on a Jones sacrifice fly. Another scored on a
Brooke Burback RBI-single and Land then lauched a three-run homer to right centerfield to end the game by run rule, 8-0.
Price pitched 5.0 innings, allowing no runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
For the day, Land was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBI, while Frame had four hits.Â