VALDOSTA, Ga. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team opened up the NCAA South 1 Regional on Friday with an exciting 3-2 victory over Rollins College at the VSU Softball Complex on the campus of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga. The win moves the Chargers forward in the winner's bracket where they will face the winner of VSU and Miles at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday.
 
UAH improves to 42-14 with the triumph, and Rollins falls to 40-10.
 
After being instructed by Head Coach Les Stuedeman to have a patient approach at the plate, the Chargers drew a pair of walks in the first inning en route to scoring the contest's first run. After leading the game off with a base on balls, Kelli Long moved down to second on a Mary Kelley sacrifice bunt.
 
Kathryn Whitlock took the other free pass, and it was especially important as it extended the inning and allowed UAH's next batter Cortney McNett to record a two-out single up the middle that scored Long.
 
McNett finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate to continue her torrid stretch that has her batting near .600 over the past 10 games.
 
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the third when Whitlock picked up a two-out RBI on her single up the middle that plated Kelley who raced home from second, beating a strong throw home from the Rollins centerfielder.
 
Extending the Charger lead to 3-0, Abby MacKay deposited the first pitch of the top half of the fourth frame in the grassy area behind the left field fence for her 10th home run of the season, and it proved to be a run that UAH would need.
 
Whitney Gilbert (18-6) was strong in the circle, allowing just five hits and two runs, but the two scores for Rollins were unearned tallies in the fifth that cut the Charger advantage to 3-2. She struck out four on the afternoon in tossing her 21st complete game.
 
Picking up the loss for the Tars was Hope Blitzer (21-6) who surrendered seven hits and four walks.
 
Krista Rodden led the Rollins offensive effort was a 2-for-3 performance.