Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FLORENCE, Ala. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team travelled to North Alabama on Tuesday and split with the Lions, winning 13-2 in the day's first game before falling 12-9 in the nightcap of the doubleheader. UAH now is 19-11 (10-4 Gulf South Conference), and UNA is 26-10 (11-7 GSC).
 
The Chargers will head up to Jackson, Tenn., now ahead of Wednesday's matchup with Union at 1 p.m.
 
UAH 13, North Alabama 2
 
The visitors grabbed a quick 1-0 lead when Kathryn Whitlock reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Brianna Sullivan to score in the top of the first inning, and North Alabama threatened just as quickly to score in its half of the first inning.
 
A double placed runners at second and third with one out in the frame, but Whitney Toler (8-1) struck out the next batter and induced a pop out to first to end the inning, and the score would remain 1-0 after neither team was able to do anything in the second.
 
The Chargers then exploded for an 11-run frame in the third as the team recorded eight hits – including five for extra bases – in the inning.
 
Cortney McNett drove in four runs in the inning as she started the scoring with a two-run double that plated Meagan Billingsley and Brianna Sullivan after Billingsley had led the inning off with a two-bagger of her own. McNett would knock in another pair of runs that concluded the big inning as she homered to left center for her team-best eighth dinger of the year.
 
In between, Whitlock recorded an RBI on another fielder's choice, while Sullivan also drove in a run on a base knock. Recording a two-run double was Mary Kelley, and Nicole Bobrowski cleared the bases with a three-run double in the inning.
 
North Alabama would pick up a pair of runs in the fourth on a two-run home run, and the Chargers would add a final run when McNett picked up her fifth RBI and third hit of the day with yet another double in the fifth inning. Sullivan joined McNett with three hits on the day as UAH totaled 11 as a team.
 
Toler tossed 3.2 innings in earning her eighth win of the season, giving up six hits and two runs while striking out three. Kimberly Jack threw the final 1.2 innings of the five-inning game and struck out a pair while allowing just two hits and no runs.
 
The loss was the first setback at home for North Alabama this season.
 
North Alabama 12, UAH 9
 
The second game began positively for the Chargers as Sullivan and McNett both walked in the first frame, allowing both to score when Whitlock laced a one-out double into the gap in right center, and the visitors tacked on another on a two-out, RBI single off the bat of Bobrowski to take a 3-0 lead.
 
Immediately trimming the deficit, the Lions scored a pair in their half of the first and then put together their own big inning with an eight-run second on the strength of three home runs to hold a 10-3 lead.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs in the visiting half of the third, UAH narrowed the gap to five as Mallory McNeal doubled down the left field line to plate McNett and Whitlock, and the 10-5 score would hold until the hosts added a pair with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 12-5.
 
McNeal finished the contest with a 3-for-4 showing at the dish.
 
Providing her team with life in the sixth, Abby MacKay hit a base-clearing double to drive in Sullivan, McNett and Whitlock while pulling the Chargers to within four at 12-8, and UAH would pick up another run in the top of the seventh as Kelley singled up the middle to score McNeal who had singled on a bunt back to the pitcher to lead off the frame.
 
The Chargers would be unable, however, to pull any closer and thus fell 12-9 in the game that saw the teams combine for 31 hits.
 
Whitney Gilbert (4-6) started the contest for UAH and took home the loss as the Chargers used all three pitchers in the game.