HUNTSVILLE | Les Stuedeman became only the fifth current coach in NCAA Division II softball to record 900 coaching victories as the 12th-ranked University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team started conference play with a win on Friday, defeating visiting West Georgia 10-2 in five innings at Charger Park. The Chargers improve to 6-3 (1-0 Gulf South Conference), while UWG slips to 3-6 (0-1 GSC).
 
Stuedeman – who ranks fourth among active coaches by winning percentage – becomes only the 14th in Division II history to reach the 900-win plateau, and she is just the 40th ever across all divisions to log that many wins.
 
 UAH jumped out to a big lead early to set the tone, leading 7-0 after the first inning.
 
Tyler Harrison and Emily Glover provided the big hits for the Chargers in the frame as both drove in a pair of runs on singles, while Michal Robertson and Victoria Firth also knocked in a run in the inning as the Chargers sent 12 batters to the plate. UAH had just three hits in the frame, however, as the team capitalized on a pair of errors by UWG.
 
After West Georgia pushed a run across in the top half of the second, the hosts would again pick up big hits from Harrison and Glover as Harrison doubled in a pair of runs before Glover doubled in a third Charger run in the inning to make it 10-1.
 
West Georgia scored the game's last run with a tally in the top of the third.
 
Harrison (3-0) was also steady in the circle, earning her third win of the season as she gave up the two runs on three hits scattered across three innings. Relieving Harrison was Taylor Doriety who allowed just two hits in two innings while striking out a pair.
 
The Chargers collected six hits in the game with Harrison's three and Glover's pair leading the way, and UAH also drew eight walks in the contest.
 
The three-game set will wrap up with a doubleheader on Saturday as the two teams will square off at 1 p.m.