CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (February 14, 2025) – North Alabama outhit both of its opponents by a combined 21-7 total on Friday at the Chattanooga Challenge, cruising to a 10-2 win over Lindenwood in five innings and dominating host Chattanooga by an 8-2 final in the second game.
 
The Lions improved to a perfect 7-0 record, marking the best start since 2016 when UNA started 10-0, finished 60-7 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship.
 
Senior infielder Hailey Jones went 5-for-7 over the two games, driving home six runs with two in the first game and four in the second. The Lions also had complete game quality starts from pitchers Alivia Wilken and Emily Simon, as both allowed just two runs with four hits and combined for 13 strikeouts.
 
Lindenwood falls to 2-3, while Chattanooga dips to 2-4. Both teams play each other in the nightcap.
 
Game 1 — North Alabama 10, Lindenwood 2
 
UNA took a 4-0 lead in the third inning and later added five in the fifth en route to a 10-2 mercy rule victory over Lindenwood.
 
Wilken, the team's senior ace, got the start and tossed five innings with just two runs allowed on four hits, no walks and a new season-high seven strikeouts. She did all of this on 70 pitches.
 
Eight Lions recorded hits on the day, including Jones and junior transfers Laura Leigh Wheeler and Jorja Roberson with two apiece. Wheeler had the only multi-base hit with a triple. Jones and Roberson drove home a pair, including a sac fly from Jones.
 
UNA also did well on the basepaths, as sophomore Briley Dover stole a pair of bases. Wheeler and junior outfielder Gyvan Hammons also stole a bag. The Lions also were perfect in the field with no errors.
 
The four-run third started with a walk to Hammons and a single by Dover to put runners on the corners. Jones hit a sac fly to score Hammons, then Roberson hit a two-RBI single and later scored on an error. Lindenwood got two in the bottom half, but Wheeler hit an RBI triple to score Jones in to make it 5-2 in the fourth.
 
The Lions added five more in the fifth, including a two RBI single by pinch hitter Kylei Russell. Hammons, Dover and Jones had RBI hits after that to make it 10-2. Wilken retired the final six batters in order with three strikeouts.
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Alivia Wilken (3-0)
L –  Samantha Roulanaitis (0-1)
S – None
 
Game 2 —North Alabama 8, Chattanooga 2
 
Much like game one, UNA took the lead in the third inning and held it for good, using a two-run third and a four-run fourth inning to win 8-2 against Chattanooga.
 
Reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week Emily Simon took the circle and earned her third win of the season, going all 7.0 innings. She gave up just two runs and scattered four hits with four walks and six strikeouts. While Wilken worked quick in game one, Simon worked hard with 122 pitches and 31 batters faced.
 
Five Lions accounted for 10 hits, including three each from Jones and Dover — the reigning ASUN Player of the Week. Dover now has four multi-hit games in seven starts this season. She is batting .560 over seven games to remain in the team lead.
 
The scoring started in the third with catcher Natalie Shaw drawing a walk against reigning SoCon Pitcher of the Year Peja Goold. Newcomer Caroline Cartron subbed in to run and later scored on a wild pitch. Jones added an RBI single to score Dover after that.
 
UTC cut the lead to one in the third, then UNA erupted in the fourth with four runs, including a sacrifice fly by Shaw and back-to-back doubles from Dover and Jones. The dynamic pair added two more RBI hits in the sixth to make it 8-2. Simon retired the order in the seventh to close it.
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Emily Simon (3-0)
L –  Peja Goold (1-2)
S – None
 
COMING UP NEXT

The Lions are scheduled for two more games tomorrow, beginning at 2 p.m. against Chattanooga.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.