LIVINGSTON – West Alabama sophomore Cole Prater entered in the bottom of eighth inning with the bases loaded to single down the right field line and send in the game winning run. Prater’s hit sparked a rally at the plate to steal the game three win, 7-2 over North Alabama on Sunday.

“I was very proud of our team and how they responded in the eighth inning,” said UWA head coach Gary Rundles.

“They all had great approaches. Cole came in and had a big time hit that jumpstarted us. I’m proud of the way our guys hung in there. We had a lot of opportunities that failed and when that happens it’s easy to hang your head, but we still had a spark left in us.”

West Alabama secured the 2-1 series win to improve to 18-19 on the season; 11-6 in the Gulf South Conference. North Alabama falls to 20-16 overall and will remain a game and a half behind the Tigers in the GSC standings at 10-8.

Matt Betts (1-0) replaced starting pitcher Nick Bolleter on the mound in the eighth inning to pick up the win. Betts gave up only one hit through the final two innings. Eric Wilson (2-2) gave up three runs in the eighth to claim the loss.

West Alabama hit around the lineup in the bottom of the eighth after trailing by one in the previous inning. The Tigers were led by junior centerfielder Jocobby Robinson, who finished 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI’s. Prater ended 1-for-1 with two RBI’s. Matthew Tittle led the Lions at the plate with a 2-for-4 finish.

“This gives us a lot of momentum and shows that we can win,” said Rundles. “We can produce and do what is necessary to win the ball game.”

The Tigers will now return to non-conference action as they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Stillman College on Wednesday. The game is set for 3 p.m.