LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The Auburn Montgomery baseball team clinched the eighth and final postseason spot in the Gulf South Conference standings with their doubleheader split at West Alabama on Saturday, May 1. The Warhawks fell 7-0 in game one but took game two 14-8. 
 
With the split, AUM closes out the regular season with a record of 18-21 overall and a mark of 16-20 in GSC play. The tournament berth marks for AUM 's first postseason appearance since becoming full-fledged members of NCAA Division II in 2019. 
 
GAME ONE
Micah Henderson (6-4) took the loss on the mound in game one. The senior righty struck out eight over 5.2 innings while giving up just two runs on six hits. Logan Coleman surrendered four earned over 1/3 of an inning while Jake Chase gave up just one earned over the final two innings of the contest. 
 
Sage Smelley led AUM with a pair of hits in game one while Jackson Ceman, Casey Henderson, and Joseph Hartsfield all added a hit. 
 
Neither team was able to crack the scoreboard until inning number five, when West Alabama would get a a pair of runs on an RBI fielder's choice and an RBI walk to go up 2-0.
 
The Tigers broke open the ballgame in the seventh by throwing up four runs on four hits, including a solo home run, an RBI double, and a two-RBI single to take a 6-0 lead. West Alabama would get their seventh and final run of the contest in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI single.
 
The Warhawks' two best scoring chances came in the fifth and eighth innings, when they were able to get a pair of runners on in each frame. A pop out to short ended inning number five while a 6-4-3 twin killing thwarted the Warhawk momentum in inning number eight to keep AUM scoreless. 
 
GAME TWO
Grayson Blackwell knocked a season-high three hits in game two with three runs driven in. The senior first baseman also scored twice and slugged his fourth home run of the season. 
 
C. Henderson also drove in three runs, with a pair of hits and runs scored. Zach Feaster scored three times in game two, with two RBI's on two hits. 
 
Landon Pritchett registered two runs driven in with a run scored while Ceman scored twice on a pair of hits with one RBI. 
 
Hartsfield and Smelley both also socked a pair of hits, with Hartsfield scoring twice in the win. 
 
Jax Morris (1-1) earned the win in relief, surrendering two earned on one hit over 2.2 innings out of the bullpen after the departure of starter Troy Jones. Jones struck out four over 3.1 inning while giving up three earned.
 
Sam Steigert (3) tossed the final three frames to earn his third save of 2021. Steigert worked around five hits to give up just one run en route to slamming the door shut on the Tigers. 
 
AUM jumped on the Tigers early, plating three runs in the first to take an early lead. Feaster brought home the game's first two runs on an RBI double down the LF line while Galloway brought in the third and final run of the frame on an RBI bunt single.
 
West Alabama would respond with a run in the second on an RBI single, followed buy four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. 
 
The Warhawks erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning to take back both the game's momentum and the lead. Ceman started off the scoring frenzy with an RBI single with the bases loaded, followed by a two-RBI double from C. Henderson, a sac fly from Pritchett, and a two-RBI knock from Blackwell to go up 10-5.
 
West Alabama responded in the bottom of the seventh with two runs on a pair of hits but AUM would answer by bringing home a run in the eighth on a sac fly from Ethan Wells to up the Warhawks' advantage to 11-7. 
 
The Tigers added their final run of the game in inning number eight but AUM would respond in the top of the ninth with three insurance runs to go up 14-8. Blackwell started off the scoring in the inning with a solo blast to right, followed by an RBI single from C. Henderson and another RBI sac fly from Pritchett. 
 
The Warhawks outhit the Tigers 14-13 in game two, batting .389 as a team. AUM batted .435 (10-23) with runners on base and an even .500 (7-14) with runners in scoring position in game two while reaching base to lead off an inning in five of nine frames. 
 
The Warhawks will be back in action for round one of the GSC Postseason Tournament against top-seeded Lee University on Friday, May 7 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. at a time to be announced. 

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