FLORENCE — Its bats quieted by Missouri Western through seven innings of Monday’s rubber match, North Alabama needed to find some offense late to avoid dropping a series for the first time this season.

The Lions (8-2) got all they needed in one inning, scoring four runs while facing seven Griffons pitchers in the bottom of the eighth to turn a two-run deficit into a 5-3 win.

UNA had managed three hits and as many base runners against Missouri Western starter Nik Juardo heading into the eighth. Juardo struck out nine and scattered five hits before being chased after

7 1/3 innings.

The Griffons (1-2) emptied their bullpen in the eighth but walked two batters and hit another while failing to stop the Lions’ small-ball game.

Josh Cyr, mired in a 1-for-22 slump, capped the rally with a bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single through the left side that gave UNA its first lead of the game.

“It felt real good,” Cyr said. “I was just focusing on getting a hit and doing something good for my team. I wasn’t thinking about anything else.

“We really try to take pitches, work deep into the count and get to those relief pitchers. Once we did that, things started to go our way.”

Trailing 3-1, Daniel Korpi (2-for-3) sparked the rally with a leadoff single in the eighth, and UNA went to work manufacturing runs.

Korpi moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Darrmal Moore’s single.

The Griffons then made the first of six pitching changes, but a bad pick-off throw allowed Moore to advance all the way to third on the error.

Moore scored on a safety squeeze bunt by Josh Doyle, and Missouri Western walked two batters and hit one to set up Cyr’s clutch hit.

“We’re not really clicking offensively up-and-down (the lineup), so we have to be able to do that,” UNA coach Mike Keehn said of playing small ball. “Their guy was pitching extremely well. Korpi got that leadoff hit — and that’s really what we were waiting on — which allowed us to do that.

“I was really pleased with our patience there. We talked about being perfect with our bunt execution, and, obviously, it came into play.”

Schmidt (2-for-3) had provided most of UNA’s offense, doubling to lead off the fourth to break up a no-hitter by Juardo, who retired the first nine batters. Schmidt advanced to third on Doyle’s sacrifice and scored on Jake Sloan’s fly to left field to make it 2-1 Griffons.

Missouri Western made it a two-run lead, capitalizing on a one-out walk off starter Chad Boughner in the seventh with a two-out RBI double by Jake Graham (2-for-5).

Boughner gave up two runs on two hits while walking two and throwing four wild pitches in the first inning. He settled in from there, striking out nine and allowing three runs — two earned — on four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

“At first, I just struggled to find my release point,” Boughner said. “I came back to the dugout and talked to (pitching) coach (Matt) Hancock, and he helped me remember what I needed to do to adjust. From there, everything settled down.”

Brantley Claunch pitched a scoreless inning of relief, bridging the gap to fellow freshman Jacob Westerhouse (1-0), who closed out the eighth and was credited with the win, allowing one hit in 2/3 innings.

Freshman closer Ben Seabrook started the ninth and allowed back-to-back two-out singles to put the tying run on base before a ground ball to first secured his second save.

UNA’s four pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts.

“This whole weekend was one of our better pitching performances,” Keehn said. “I really give a lot of credit to coach Hancock and the pitching staff for keeping us in these games because we weren’t tearing it up offensively.”

The Lions will play on the road today for the first time this season at Auburn-Montgomery at 3 p.m. before hosting Quincy in a three-game weekend series.

Bryan App can be reached at 256-740-5730 or bryan.app@TimesDaily.com.