Box Score HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team staged a late comeback Friday night, but it ultimately fell just short as Valdosta State won game one of the 2014 NCAA Division II South Super Regional by a 9-8 score at Charger Park. The Chargers slip to 47-11 with the setback, while VSU improves to 44-13.
 
The two teams will meet again at Saturday at 1 p.m., and should the Chargers force a game three it would take place at approximately 3:30 p.m.
 
UAH found itself trailing 8-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, and Tyler Harrison would hit her fifth home run of the season – a two-run shot to center that would bring the Chargers within two at 8-6 as Kaitlyn Bannister scored  on the play after singling earlier in the inning.
 
The home run was one of five that were hit in the game, and the last came in the Valdosta seventh when Heather Robinson hit her second of the game as she hit a solo shot to center to put the Blazers back on top by three at 9-6.
 
Just as the team did twice last weekend at the South 1 Regional, the Chargers would rally in the seventh, however this time the attempt came up just short.
 
Emily Glover led the inning off with a double and moved to third when Victoria Frith recorded a one-out single to give the Chargers runners at first and third for Macie Couey. A single to left off of Couey's bat drove in Glover to make it 9-7, and Mary Kelley would follow that up by getting hit by a pitch to load the bases for Bannister.
 
Valdosta State then lifted starter Brianna Hancock (23-5) for Caitlyn Calhoun, and she induced a fly ball to right on which Frith scored to pull UAH within one with the winning run on base. The comeback could not be finalized, however, as Calhoun would induce a grounder to third to end the contest and earn her second save of the season.
 
The Chargers jumped in front of VSU quickly, using a two-run bomb off the bat of Kelley in the first to grab a 2-0 lead, but VSU would respond with four runs in the top of the second to go in front 4-2 before adding another run in the third to hold a 5-2 advantage.
 
That would lead would be cut to just one in the bottom frame of the third as Bannister picked up the first two of the three RBI she tallied in the game, singling to shallow left center on a blooper that allowed Frith and Couey to score while making the game 5-4.
 
VSU would add a run in the fifth and two in the sixth, however, to grab the late 8-4 advantage.
 
Bannister and Couey led UAH with two hits as the team totaled eight while VSU registered 11 on the evening.
 
Whitney Toler started the game in the circle for the Chargers and was saddled with the loss as she surrendered five runs in four innings, and Emily Glover tossed the final three frames for UAH.