CARROLLTON, Ga. – A four-run top of the sixth proved to be the difference in Friday night's home opener for UWG Softball as the Wolves fell 8-5 to the 15^th-ranked Auburn Montgomery Warhawks.
 
After building a 5-2 lead after two innings, West Georgia (4-9, 0-4 GSC) failed to record a hit over the final five innings, while Auburn Montgomery (9-3, 1-0 GSC) used a sixth-inning home run to tie things up and jumpstart their late inning comeback.
 
The Warhawks actually took a first inning lead, pushing across a pair of runs on a walk, a single, and then a double from Chloe Derrick.
 
West Georgia responded with a single run in the bottom half of the first. It started with a single from Hannah Scarbrough, who then advanced to second on a groundout, and took third on a passed ball. After an Alley Taylor walk, freshman Emma Bailey singled off of the pitcher's leg, allowing Scarbrough to come across.
 
Freshman Ava Ramirez led off the second with a single and got to second after Madison Vandergriff was hit by a pitch. Those runners eventually got into scoring position on a wild pitch, and then came in to score on a two-RBI single from Kristyn Nix. Two more Wolves would come across in the inning on a dropped fly ball by the AUM left fielder.
 
From that point, West Georgia would have just two baserunners and no hits over the remainder of the contest.
 
UWG starter Macy Ann McKnight pitched into the sixth inning, but Shelby Newsome led off with a single and Kat Fallen then delivered the game-tying home run for the Warhawks. A costly, two-out error that would have sent the game to the bottom half with the score 5-5 pushed across two more runs for AUM.
 
AUM would score an insurance run in the seventh off of reliever Kaley Dowdy, and then retire the Wolves in order in the bottom half.
 
UWG managed just four hits in the game, all singles, while AUM had 11 hits on the night.
 
The Wolves and Warhawks will meet back at University Field to wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.