By Staff
Special to The Star
March 15, 2001
MEMPHIS The West Alabama baseball team pushed its winning streak to seven games by sweeping LeMoyne-Owen on the road 10-4 and 15-7 Wednesday afternoon.
The Tigers banged out 30 hits over 14 innings, including five home runs.
The first game saw UWA blow open a close game with three runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth.
Scott Merkich led the way for the Tigers with a 2-for-3 performance, including two home runs and three RBI.
Walt Simmons and Michael Friedlein added two doubles each. Chad Case and Carlin Homan each picked up a pair of hits for the Tigers.
Stacey McPhaul pitched five solid innings to pick up the win. He allowed five hits and two earned runs while walking none and striking out one.
Chris Mason closed the game by striking out four over two innings.
In game two, the Tiger offense only got better, as seven Tigers produced multiple hits. UWA scored 11 runs in the game's first three innings and never looked back.
Again, Merkich led the way with three hits, including a two-run shot.
Simmons and Ryan Gernard added home runs for the Tigers while Homan, Carl Wiggins, Matt Williford and Martin Jackson joined the hit parade with two hits apiece.
Simmons scored four runs on the day to break All-American Jeff Branson's career run total of 133.
Justin Maddox pitched three innings, allowing five runs on four hits to pick up the win for UWA.
Brandon Lee pitched three innings of no-hit baseball.
The sweep moved UWA's record to 13-7 overall as conference play opens this weekend when West Georgia comes to town on Saturday and Sunday. A Saturday doubleheader will begin at 3:00 p.m. with a single game Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.