MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Auburn University at Montgomery baseball team got a go-ahead RBI single from Jackson Ceman in the eighth inning as they held off the University of West Alabama 8-7 in the opening game of the series to earn a split in the doubleheader.

FROM THE DUGOUT

GM 1 Score: AUM 8, UWA 7
GM 2 Score: AUM 4, UWA 5
Records: AUM 9-9 (5-3 GSC) | UWA 9-9 (3-5 GSC)
Location: Montgomery, Ala. | Q.V. Lowe Field
Series: AUM leads 37-28
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GM 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• A pair of West Alabama home runs in the first inning gave the visitors a 3-0 lead.
• JC Tunnell added an RBI double and Jarren Wright drove in a run on a base hit up the middle to make it a 3-2 game.
• The Tigers added another home run in the third to take a 4-2.
• AUM rattled off five unanswered runs highlighted by a Zach Dew RBI double, a pair of RBI singles from Cole McWhorter and Nick Freeman, and a bases-loaded hit by pitch drawn by Jackson Ceman.
• A sacrifice fly and an AUM throwing error plated three for the Tigers in the eighth to tie the game at 7-7.
• Jackson Ceman poked a base hit through the left side to plate Kasey Clark and help deliver the game-one win.

GM 1 ON THE MOUND 

• Clay Slagle, after a rocky start, settled in and struck out a career-high. nine UWA hitters. He allowed four runs on six hits against just one walk.
• Lucas Baggett (3-0) notched the win. He allowed one hit, walked one, and did not yield an earned run.
• Grant Hickman (1) collected his first save of the year season, as he added one strikeout in the Tiger's half of the ninth inning.

GM 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Ceman put the Warhawks on the board first with a two-run single to right in the first inning. 
• Two home runs and a double by the Tigers in the second inning helped UWA take a 5-2 lead.
• Tunnell added a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Wright homered in the sixth to make it 5-4, but The Tigers stranded the bases loaded in the last of the seventh to escape game two with a win.

GM 2 ON THE MOUND 

• Payte Williams (1-2) suffered the loss. Williams walked four, allowed seven hits, and struck out four.
• Cody Lee fired 2.2 innings of scoreless relief as he allowed just three hits and one walk and struck out three.
• Clay Weatherly struck out a pair of Tigers in a shutout seventh frame.

NOTABLES

• AUM's bullpen did not give up an earned run in 5.2 innings of work.
• Jackson Ceman went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, a walk, a run scored, and was hit by a pitch between both games of the doubleheader, including the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning of game one.
• Tyrese Rooks, Tunnell, Ceman, Dew, and Cooper Doughman all tallied multi-hit efforts in the doubleheader.
• AUM drew 11 walks and struck out just five times as a team across both games.
• Wright hit a solo home run in game two, the first homer of his AUM career. It was the 11th round-tripper of the season for the Warhawks. 
• The Warhawks' pitching staff combined to strike out 19 Tigers hitters on the day.

MANAGER'S CORNER

• "There were a lot of ups and downs throughout both games and our guys were steady," said head coach Franklin Bush. "We have to continue learning from each opportunity we get. There are still lapses in the consistency of our standard. We can't lose our edge and understanding of what makes us successful. This pitch is the most important pitch. That's the goal tomorrow. Lay our standard on the line pitch after pitch. We look forward to another opportunity tomorrow."

UP NEXT

• The Warhawks close out the series on Sunday, March 3 against West Alabama. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Q.V. Lowe Field.

 
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