MonticelloLive

LIVINGSTON, Alabama - The University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team lost both ends of a double-header to nationally ranked No. 3 West Alabama on Tuesday with final scores of 20-6 and 9-8 in eight innings.

In the first game, the Weevils took a quick 1-0 lead on the Tigers with one run in the top of the first inning. Senior Chris Whatley (Sachse, Texas) scored on a passed ball after reaching base on a walk, moving to second on a single from sophomore Matt Gardner (West Monroe, La.), and moving to third on a fly-out. 
The Tigers responded with nine first inning runs to take a lead of their own.

UWA used seven base hits, including a two-run homerun to score its runs in the inning.

The Weevils allowed UWA to score nine more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the game out of reach. 

Gardner went 2 for 4 from the plate with three RBI, including a three-RBI double in the top of the sixth inning. 

Freshman Stuart Morgan (Benton, Miss.) recorded the loss for the Weevils after getting the start and throwing 3 2/3 innings, allowing 15 runs on 11 hits, while striking out three and walking six of the 31 batters he faced.

In the second game of the twin-bill, UAM used its best start of the season to gain a large lead over the Tigers with five runs on five hits in the top of the first inning.

Junior Josh Wisnoski (Navasota, Texas) started the scoring with an RBI-double to right center field that scored sophomore Craig Caldwell (West Monroe, La.), who led off the inning of with a single.

Two batters later, freshman Josh Hathcox (Bryan, Texas) smashed a two-RBI single up the middle that scored Whatley and Wisnoski. Freshman Tyler Ogden (Delhi, La.) followed with an RBI-single to score Hathcox.

Caldwell went 2 for 2 in the inning with his second at bat being a
RBI-infield single that scored freshman Ben Miller (El Dorado, Ark.).

The Weevils held an 8-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Tigers went on a 8-0 run in the fourth through the seventh inning to force the game into an extra frame.

Despite good fundamental baseball, the Weevils left the go-ahead run on third base in the extra frame, while the Tigers used two walks, a failed pickoff attempt, and a wild pitch to send the winning run across the plate.

Sophomore Kevin Lienard (Drew, Miss.) recorded his second loss of the season after letting the winning run get on base in the eighth inning.

The Weevils drop to 0-17 overall this season, and look to get their first win of the season this weekend when the team hosts West Alabama for a three-game non-conference series starting Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m. at Weevil Field.