VALDOSTA, Ga. – The 21st-ranked University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team was swept on the road Saturday by the nation's top-ranked team, falling 6-1 in the day's first game before being narrowly defeated 4-3 in the nightcap. The Chargers slip to 29-12 (11-7 Gulf South Conference) with the setbacks, and VSU improves to 37-2 (20-0 GSC).
 
The day's first contest started out promising as the Chargers got on the board when Stephanie Needham belted her team-leading 15th homer of the season to put the visitors on top 1-0, but Valdosta State quickly tied it with a run of its own in the bottom frame and took a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the second.
 
Recording just four more hits, UAH was unable to record more than one hit in a frame the rest of the way and only twice more had runners in scoring position. Both of those situations came with two outs as the team had runners at first and third with two gone in the fifth, and Abby MacKay tripled with two retired in the sixth before being stranded there.
 
The Blazers added a pair of runs in their half of the fifth to make it 6-1.
 
Whitney Gilbert (12-5) started the contest for the Chargers in the circle and picked up the loss as she tossed four innings, giving up six hits and allowing five runs. She was relieved by Christina Boczek who threw an inning and gave up one run, and Hannah Hogan pitched the final frame, holding the hosts scoreless.
 
In the nightcap, the Chargers led 2-0 after three innings as Kathryn Whitlock singled in Mary Kelley in the first, and Whitlock picked up another RBI as Kelley scored on a sacrifice fly.
 
However, the Blazers scored four runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.
 
UAH tried to respond, putting up a tough fight in the seventh as Kellie Johnson led the inning off with a walk, and she later came in to score on a Stephanie Needham single that gave the Chargers runners at first and third with just one out, trailing 4-3.
 
Unfortunately, the Chargers were unable to scratch across the tying run.
 
Whitney Toler (12-6) went the distance for the Chargers, throwing six innings while giving up four hits and four runs – only one of which was earned.
 
The Chargers will return to action on Tuesday when they host North Alabama in the first-ever GSC night game on campus.