Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROME, Ga. | The second-ranked University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team earned a split on the road on Saturday, falling to Shorter 2-0 in the day's first game before outlasting the hosts 2-1 in 11 innings in the nightcap. UAH moves to 16-3 (5-3 Gulf South Conference), while Shorter's record is now 15-6 (7-1 GSC).
 
The two teams will close out the weekend series on Sunday at noon CDT.
 
Shorter 2, UAH 0 (Game One)
 
The story of the first contest was pitching as UAH's Whitney Toler (3-1) picked up a tough-luck loss, giving up just four hits and the two runs in 4.2 innings, while Christina Ezell (9-4) went the distance for Shorter as she also gave up just four hits while striking out nine in the complete-game effort.
 
Four different players recorded the hits for UAH with Kaitlyn Bannister recording a two-out double in the top half of the second for the team's first hit of the contest.
 
Only two other Chargers would reach second base in the affair, both coming in the fifth inning when the visitors threatened to score after Shorter claimed the lead with two runs in the bottom frame of the fourth.
 
Mallory McNeal singled to lead off the inning, moving over to third on Haley Thompson's base hit to right, and UAH had two runners in scoring position with just one out when Thompson picked up her ninth stolen base of the season. Ezell, however, would strike out Nicole Bobrowski and induce a pop-up from Elizabeth Jordan to end the threat.
 
UAH 2, Shorter 1 (F/11; Game Two)
 
Kimberly Jack (1-0) earned her first win of the season by tossing six innings of relief in the extended game, giving up only three hits and an unearned run despite two of her innings starting with a runner at second thanks to the international tiebreaker rule going into effect in the 10th.
 
Prior to Jack entering the game, it was UAH who struck first as Haley Thompson recorded a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth that plated Tyler Harrison who was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and the 1-0 lead stood until Shorter scratched across an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to force the extra innings.
 
The Chargers would threaten in the extra frames twice before scoring, having a runner in scoring position in both the eighth and 10th innings, but it was not until the 11th that UAH pushed across the go-ahead run as Thompson doubled with one out, scoring Bannister who had been placed on second to start the inning.
 
Jack then retired the side in order in the bottom frame as Shorter sacrificed the runner at second over to third for the first out before Jack induced a grounder and picked up a strikeout to end the game.
 
The Chargers finished the affair with 10 hits – including a three-hit showing from Macie Couey and Bannister, while Thompson had two hits to go along with her two RBI.
 
Emily Glover started the contest in the circle for the Chargers, lasting five innings and scattering four hits.