FLORENCE — North Alabama’s bats came around and the Lions finally strung together some offense late in Sunday’s baseball doubleheader against Missouri Western.

Griffons starter Brandon Simmons kept UNA off-balance in the opener, as the Lions managed one hit in the first six innings of a 4-1 loss. UNA broke open a tie game in the nightcap with six runs in its final two at-bats for a split-salvaging 7-2 win in seven innings.

UNA (7-2) will host Missouri Western (1-1) in a nine-inning rubber match today at 1 p.m. at Mike Lane Field.

“Their guy the first game pitched pretty well,” UNA coach Mike Keehn said. “We had some good effort, good at-bats; we just couldn’t string anything together and made some mistakes. I liked how we kept things going even when some things went against us. I don’t think we were quite as intense the first game.”

Two walks and a Darrmal Moore single loaded the bases with no outs in a three-run fifth for the Lions in the nightcap. Josh Doyle (2-for-3) then delivered a tie-breaking two-run single to right field before Mike Schmidt scored on an errant throw home on a double steal attempt.

The Griffons got a run back with a double and a single off UNA starter Michael Watkins in the sixth. UNA put up three more runs on three singles in the bottom of the inning, as Andrew Almon (2-for-3) drove in a run and Josh Carpenter (2-for-3) two more.

Watkins (2-0) got the win, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out six in six innings. Ben Seabrook gave up a single in the seventh but stranded the runner at third, retiring three of four batters to close out the win.

“We just weren’t prepared that first game, I guess, and came out flat,” Carpenter said. “We talked it over and decided to come out hitting the ball hard the second game, and that’s what we did.”

UNA’s offense seemed to come around in the second inning, when Jake Sloan (2-for-3) and Almon led off with back-to-back singles, and the Lions scored first on a Josh Cyr safety squeeze. But UNA lost momentum when Almon was called out at home, trying to score from second base on a single by Carpenter.

Almon appeared to beat a wide throw but was tagged after the play and called out for not touching the plate.

“I know I touched it,” Almon said. “It’s just one of those things where it’s a bad call. We just had to respond, and we started swinging it well, up and down the lineup.”

Five Lions totaled nine hits off four Griffons pitchers. Matt Bergin took the loss, allowing five hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings.

UNA couldn’t get much going offensively in the opener against Simmons.

The junior right-hander scattered five hits while striking out six and allowing one run in seven innings for the win. He retired 11 straight batter after Schmidt’s leadoff single in the first.

The Lions didn’t get another hit until Almon (2-for-4) singled in the fifth after Sloan reached on a leadoff error, putting two on with one out. A double play ended the threat, and the Lions stranded two more runners in the sixth.

Missouri Western scored single runs in the second, third and fifth.

The Griffons singled three times off UNA starter Johnny Hornbuckle in the second, two with two outs. They added a run on two singles in the third, including David Chew’s two-out RBI.

Hornbuckle (2-1) yielded an unearned run in the fifth with two walks, an error and two wild pitches. He allowed six hits and struck out six in six innings in the loss.

Bubba Dotson tacked on a solo home run for a 4-1 Griffons lead in the eighth.

The Lions stranded two runners in the ninth after Josh Carpenter (single) and Drew Parker (walk) each reached with two outs.

“Overall, this is the best team we played,” Almon said. “We have a goal: every 10 games, we need to go 8-2. If we can win this series, we’ll keep that pace, so that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

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