LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Despite a valiant effort at the plate and a late offensive push, Tuskegee baseball was unable to overcome an early deficit, falling 8-5 to West Alabama in Tuesday's midweek showdown.
 
The Golden Tigers showed patience and discipline at the plate, drawing 11 walks, but key scoring opportunities slipped away as West Alabama's early offensive surge held firm.
 
Evan Jones stood out for Tuskegee, displaying keen plate awareness with three walks and a crucial three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning that helped trim the West Alabama lead.
 
Rodney Mudd II also contributed offensively, leading the Golden Tigers with two hits in four at-bats, while Ryan Morrow and Jones each reached base three times via walks.
 
West Alabama took control from the outset, striking early in the bottom of the first inning with a RBI double, an RBI single, a bases-loaded walk drawn, and a sacrifice fly, giving them a 4-0 lead after one inning.
 
They continued to apply pressure in the second, adding two more runs off a fielder's choice play and a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
Tuskegee responded in the fourth inning as Jones delivered the Golden Tigers' biggest offensive moment—a towering three-run blast to left field, cutting the deficit to 6-3. However, West Alabama answered right back in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run, keeping the momentum on their side.
 
On the mound, Jaylen Hill took the loss for Tuskegee after throwing 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out two and walking four. Jordan Peterman got the start, but control issues led to an early exit after two-thirds of an inning, where he allowed two runs without surrendering a hit, walking four batters.
 
Despite the setback, Tuskegee remained sharp in the field, playing error-free baseball, with Nicholas Pratt leading the defensive effort with five chances handled cleanly.
 
The Golden Tigers will look to regroup and carry their patient approach at the plate into their next matchup as they continue their early-season campaign.
 
West Alabama accumulated nine hits in the game. Eli Burwash led West Alabama with three hits in four at bats from the leadoff position. Meanwhile, six different Tigers drove in one run for West Alabama.
 
Nick Thibodeau led the Tigers with five walks. Overall, the team had a strong eye at the plate, collecting 14 walks for the game.

Up Next
The Golden Tigers will return to action this weekend as they start a three-game road series to kick off SIAC play against Albany State. The series will start on Friday at 5 p.m., before concluding with a Saturday doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. all held at the Golden Rams' Field at West Campus.

How to Follow the Golden Tigers
For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Baseball, visit GoldenTigerSports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 
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