FLORENCE, Ala. (May 10, 2025) – The University of North Alabama baseball team won its Saturday night game over Eastern Kentucky, 6-2.

UNA set the most wins in a season in their Friday night game with 19. This win marks the first ever 20-win season in program history at the Division I level.

The Lions (20-28, 13-13 ASUN) were led defensively by the senior starter, Anthony Pingeton. He went the full nine innings and threw 11 strikeouts in the 34 batters he faced. The team high this season for strikeouts is 13 in a single game.

The 11 strikeouts came one shy of the career strikeout leader, Jacob James. He had 12, accomplished twice in 2024, once against UT Martin and once against Jacksonville.

The Colonels (10-41, 7-19 ASUN) hit .161 for the game with five hits, one being a solo shot in the top of the ninth to earn their second run. AJ Groeneveld went 3-for-3 for the game and plated the two runs.

North Alabama hit .333 tonight, marking a tie for their third best batting average game. The lead-off man held a .375 when in the box.

Seven different Lions combined for the 11-hit night. Ryker Billingsley, Jonathan Lane and Petey Craska each had multiple hits; Billingsley led the team with three for the night. Both Billingsley and Lane each secured a two RBI night.

Five different runners created the six runs for North Alabama as designated hitter Jayden Sloan grabbed two himself.

A game that began with a 2 p.m. start time moved expeditiously as the rain made its way over Florence. Seven and half hours later, the game was ready to be played.

That does not mean the rain stopped, it just means the first pitch was thrown. The rain billowed through as Pingeton toed the rubber and tossed his first pair of strikeouts in the first inning.

Sloan walked in the bottom of the first. Craksa hit the gap on the right side which gave Sloan enough time to slide into third.

Matthew Delgado hit one up the middle that allowed the infield to tag second to get Craska but the slippery ball got away from the second baseman and sailed past first.

The first baseman ran to gather the ball. Delgado pushed it to second and was safe originally. However, the slip n' slide turf got the best of him as his hand slipped from the base as the second baseman applied the tag.

That gave Sloan enough time to score the for the 1-0 lead.

Groeneveld got one of his three hits in the top of the second for a double. A single through the right side scored him to tie the game, 1-1.

North Alabama replied quickly in the bottom of the third. Sloan singled and Craska walked for two on. Another fielder's choice from Delgado got Craska out at second with no theatrics this time.

Lane doubled to left field, perfectly down the line to score the go-ahead run, 2-1.

Craska doubled into no man's land in mid left field near the line. Delgado did the same to right field, but a sliding out attempt from EKU was not successful but kept Craska at third.

Lane hit to third and Craska made his way home to go up, 3-1.

The 3-1 lead held for a couple of innings until the bottom of the seventh. Nash Rippen took the first pitch of his at-bat and put it to the batting cages in right field for a solo shot run.

The bottom of the eighth saw Loving line one up the middle and then he stole second to get into scoring position.

Next up, Billingsley. Any hit could do to score Loving. After reaching a full count, the junior from California decided the batting cages needed a second game ball and added a two-shot home run to make it 6-1.

The Colonels added a run from Groeneveld's solo shot home run. However, Pingeton closed out the game with an 11th strikeout in the final inning to earn the 20th win of the season with a final score of 6-2.
 

Pitchers of Record
W – Anthony Pingeton (3-3)
L –  Carson Van Haaren (0-6)
S – N/A

COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama plays the final game of the series against Eastern Kentucky tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. The Lions will recognize 11 seniors as they graduate from the program.