CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The University of North Alabama battled back from a 6-0 deficit but came out on the short end of a 7-5 decision to Delta State in the second day of pool play at the Gulf South Conference Baseball Tournament.

UNA, now 0-2 in the tournament, trailed 6-0 in the fourth inning before a three-run homer by Tate Mathis cut the deficit in half. The Lions then added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to make it 6-5.

After Delta State got an insurance run in the top of the ninth, UNA loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the frame before Hunter Riggins struckout UNA's Brandt Holland to end the threat.

With the loss, UNA is now 31-19 overall. The Lions play West Alabama at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the final round of pool play.
Delta State got a run in the top of the second and added three in the third and two in the fourth off UNA starter Shane Priest.

In UNA's half of the fourth, Kevin Brenning singled and Holland walked before Mathis launched his three-run home run.

In the fifth, Ben Cooley was hit-by-pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Brenning.

In the seventh, T.J. Lockett singled with two outs and scored on a Brenning RBI-double to make it 6-5.

DSU's Clay Casey homered off UNA's Josh Stillman to leadoff the ninth and extend the DSU lead to 7-5. It was the only run allowed by Stillman in five strong innings of relief.

In the bottom of the ninth, UNA's first two batters struckout before Lockett was hit-by-pitch and Brenning and Hubbuch followed with singles to load the bases. Holland was then called out on a third strike.

UNA was out-hit 13 to nine in the game. Brenning led UNA's effort, going four-for-four with a run scored and two runs batted in.