WINTER PARK, Fla. – The University of West Alabama softball team made history on Monday morning as the Tigers (37-17) won the NCAA Division II South Two Regional with a 3-1 victory over Arkansas-Monticello and advance to South Super Regional in Huntsville, Ala. for the first time in program history.

UWA jumped on the Cotton Blossoms with three runs in the first inning and rode the arm of Kristen Skinner to the victory.

Skinner fanned eight UAM batters in the contest while scattering seven hits. The junior started all four games for the Red and White during the weekend and posted a 3-1 record.

After sitting UAM down in order to start the outing, the Tigers bats took control with the first three hitters reaching base to put Blossom starter Kayla Jackson in trouble early. Anna Shartzer, who singled through the left side to start things off, scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the game. Jessica Powell then blasted a triple to right center to score Taylor Beck and Valisha Fincher. Beck reached base on a base hit and Fincher followed with a walk to load the bases.

Powell finished the regional with a team-best .385 average at the plate and drove in six of the Tigers’ nine runs.

UAM posted its only run in the second inning in an attempt to answer the Tigers opening at-bat, but the Blossoms left the bases full and couldn’t overtake the Tigers. The Green and White made another attempt of rallying in the third, but for the second consecutive inning left the bases juiced. UAM’s final attempt at spoiling the Tigers’ run came in the seventh inning as Taylor Miller threw out Jackson from shortstop. The Blossoms left a pair aboard as a result.