West Alabama scored 10 runs in the first two innings of game one and used a comeback in game two to sweep a doubleheader 13-3 and 11-6 from Valdosta State in Gulf South Conference baseball action at Tartt Field Saturday.

With the sweep, UWA improved to 23-19 on the season and 12-8 in league play while VSU fell to 22-16 and 11-8 in conference play.

Valdosta State opened the scoring in the top half of inning one in the first game as Buster Jackson drew a lead-off walk before the next two Blazers were retired. Cameron Graves proceeded to hit a ground rule double over the wall in center field and scored along with Jackson as Bryant Hayman followed with a single up the middle for a 2-0 VSU advantage.  West Alabama struck back for five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Tyler Richburg opened the frame with a double and Chris Duncan singled to put runners on the corners before D.J. Turo grounded into a one-out fielder’s choice that scored Richburg. A pair of walks followed before Ben Fox plated two with a single up the middle. Another walk loaded the bases and Tyler Shaw drove in two more with a hit up the middle for a 5-2 UWA lead.

 The Tigers scored five more runs in the second inning and, after the Blazers added an unearned run in the fifth, closed out the scoring with three in the bottom of the sixth, including back-to-back home runs by Fox and Brett Langham.

 VSU starter Kevin Rogers allowed nine runs on six hits in just 1.1 innings to fall to 3-4 on the year. Meanwhile, Barry Meeks improved to 6-3 as he surrendered seven hits and three runs, two earned, in a complete game effort.  Marc Overstreet had two hits and a run scored to lead VSU offensively in game one.

 Valdosta State once again struck first in game two as Marc Overstreet reached on a one-out error and moved to second on a ground out before Hayman tripled to right to drive him home for a 1-0 Blazer edge.

West Alabama took advantage of a pair of errors in the bottom of the first to even the game at 1-1 before Cameron Graves pushed the Blazers back in front in the second.

Steven Groves doubled with one out in the second inning before Austin Lawrence drew a walk. After a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, Graves lifted a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right for his seventh home run of the year and a 4-1 VSU lead.

After Hayman led off the third with a single, Chad Grant hit his first career home run out to left to push the Blazer advantage to 6-1 only to have West Alabama score three runs on just two hits in the fourth inning to cut its deficit to two runs. The Tigers also drew two walks in the frame and also saw a batter hit by a pitch as UWA left the tying runs on second and third in the frame.

The Tigers claimed the lead in the fifth inning as they plated six runs before an out was recorded in the frame. Micah Reeves singled to open the frame before Turo walked and Matthew Magee reached on a dropped pop up. After a wild pitch scored a run, LaDarrius Cole followed with a run scoring single before Fox hit a two-run double. Langham proceeded to hit his second home run of the day to give UWA a 10-6 advantage.

 West Alabama added its final run in the sixth inning.

Jessie Boyd allowed eight hits and six runs in 5.0 innings to improve to 7-4 for the Tigers while Pete Whittingslow, gave up 10 hits and eight runs also in 5.0 innings to fall to 4-4.

 Graves led the Blazers offensively in the game as he tallied two hits and three RBI while Groves and Hayman also finished with two hits.