By Staff
Special to The Star
Feb. 28, 2001
HATTIESBURG West Alabama rode the strong pitching of senior Michael Allen and the keen hitting of Michael Friedlein to upend William Carey 9-3 in Tuesday afternoon baseball action.
The Tigers pounded out 14 hits in one of their better offensive outbursts of the season, while Tiger pitching limited William Carey to three runs on six hits.
After two scoreless innings to open the game, the Tigers struck first with three runs in the top half of the third inning. Following a three-run fifth, West Alabama led 6-0 with Michael Allen cruising on the mound.
Both teams put up a single run in the sixth, as UWA maintained a commanding lead.
William Carey scored two in the seventh, closing the gap to four. However, Friedlein removed all doubt in the eighth when he connected on a two-run bomb, immediately pushing the lead back to six. Brandon Lee and Matt Moyer combined to throw a scoreless eighth and ninth, as the Tigers picked up their fourth win of the year.
Allen (1-2) pitched six innings, allowing only one run on three hits en route to picking up his first win of the season.
Friedlein paced the Tiger attack with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, including the two-run shot in the eighth inning.
Junior Walt Simmons picked up three hits, including a double. Carlin Homan went 2-for-5, both doubles, while teammates Scott Merkich and Chad Case added two hits apiece for West Alabama.
The win upped UWA's record to 4-6 overall. Action moves back to Tartt Field on March 3 when Belhaven comes to town for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.