UWA sweeps Miles

By Staff
Special to The Star
March 12, 2001
LIVINGSTON, Ala. The University of West Alabama baseball team returned to Tartt Field on Sunday to square off against Miles College in a non-conference doubleheader. The Tiger bats were hot, with UWA taking both contests 10-0 and 15-3, respectively.
The first game saw an outstanding pitching performance by junior Josh McLaren. McLaren went six scoreless innings, only allowing two hits and racking up seven strikeouts, to take his record to 2-1.
Walt Simmons, Scott Merkich and Chad Case pounded out two hits apiece to led the Tiger hitting attack.
Phillip Walker and LaChristopher Caldwell scattered the only two hits of game one for Miles to lead the Golden Bear offensive attack.
In game two, West Alabama's streak of hot hitting continued.
Corey Hayden, who was 2-for-2 with a home run, a triple, and three RBIs, led the Tigers in game two. Ryan Gernard, Thomas Monk, Walt Simmons, and Scott Merkich added two hits apiece to contribute to the 17-hit day for the UWA lineup.
Simmons etched his name in the UWA record book by scoring his 133rd career run, tying All-American Jeff Branson.
Junior Kee Spree pitched 4 1/3 innings, racking up seven strikeouts en route to picking up his first win of the 2001 season.
Todd Davis, who was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, led the game two attack for Miles. Julius Burrell pitched in with two hits and one RBI.
The University of West Alabama will be back in action on Tuesday, when they travel to Memphis to take on LeMoyne-Owen in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.