The UNA baseball team came home empty handed in the Gulf South Tournament this past weekend as the team was eliminated in three games in Millington, Tenn.

It was the first live action for the Lions in more than two weeks due to the recent tornado outbreak across North Alabama, which caused cancellation of the final two regular season games.

The Lions were able to defeat Delta State in game one 10-5, but fell the next two games to Harding 5-2, and 4-3 in the 11th inning to Arkansas Tech, giving the Lions an overall record of 35-12 with a chance of a regional bid left up to the selection committee.

“In the Delta State game, our bats were really good and it didn’t look like the lay-off hurt us that much,” said Mike Keehn, head coach. “In the next two games, we just could not make the adjustments offensively to score some runs.”

“Offensively we were just not able to put up the runs like we were used to doing all season, and looking at the two losses, their pitching was much better than our batting,” Keehn said.

In game one, the Lions showed that the break did not affect them, as the team got on the board in the second inning giving them a 3-0 lead. J.P LaMunyon singled and Dale Ricketts walked to start the threat. Then, player Jared Mothershed got a bunt single and an errant throw scored LaMunyon.

Nick McGregor grounded out to the right side to plate Ricketts, and a base hit by Michael Schmidt drove in Mothershed. That lead did not last long as the Statesmen took the lead in the third, scoring four runs.

The game was later tied going in the seventh inning with a score of 5-5. A solo home run by Josh Cyr in the seventh inning gave the Lions the lead for good and Jake Sloan added insurance runs with a three-run double, ending the game at 10-5.

Trey Mitchell (11-2) got the win scattering five runs on 11 hits, striking out three in 8 1/3 innings of work.

In game two, the Lions ten-game winning streak came to an end as the team fell to Harding 5-2 with the offense getting shut down with only five hits total.

The Lions started the game off strong scoring two runs in the first inning off of a two-run double delivered by Sloan, but Harding starter Lucas Waddell would not allow another run the rest of the game, picking up his second complete game against the Lions this season.

UNA starter Chad Boughner (8-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits, striking out two in six innings of work.

In game three, the Lions took the game to extra innings before Arkansas Tech drove in the winning run in the 11th inning, ending the Lions stay in the GSC tournament.

The Lions got a strong pitching performance from starter Johnny Hornbuckle (7-3), allowing three runs with nine strike outs through eight innings, but the offense could not get rolling.

UNA trailed early, but tied the game up in the fifth on an RBI-single by Cyr. Neither team would score until the 11th inning when the Wonder Boys plated the winning run. Casey Jones (3-3) came on in relief of Hornbuckle, who walked the lead-off batter to start the inning.

After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, Colt Loehrs delivered the game-winning RBI single into centerfield that scored Madison Beaird, ending the game at 4-3. It was UNA’s second extra-inning game this season, both against Arkansas Tech.

With the Lions going home early, the team hopes the selection committee picks them for a regional bid in the NCAA tourney. The Lions ranked second in the regional poll, which was released before the GSC tourney.

Three teams who are behind UNA in the regional poll are still in the GSC tournament with the University of Southern Arkansas next in line. Depending on how the tournament ends up will either damage UNA’s chances of getting in, or keep it about the same.

“You are usually in good shape if you are in the top three range in the region,” Keehn said. “Based on past history, teams who were one-and-two have a really good chance at getting in, but history has also left us out of the field a few times.”

The Lions work on the field is done and the team will have to wait until May 15 to see if they have been selected for the national championship.