LIVINGSTON, Ala. | The No. 8 University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team's run at the 2015 Gulf South Conference Tournament came to an end on Monday afternoon at Tartt Field after an 11-7 loss to Delta State on the third day of the double-elimination tournament.

Left-hander Tyler Howell took to the hill for fifth-year head coach Hunter Royer, finishing the game with 3.1 innings pitched, five earned runs, one walk and one strikeout. The senior's record fell to 4-5 with the loss.

The Chargers took an early lead on Monday in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by GSC Freshman of the Year AJ Walden after Ben Hall and Chandler Brock had back-to-back base hits. However, consecutive RBI doubles by Colton Welch and Matt Barrett allowed the Statesmen to take a 2-1 advantage in the top of the second.

UAH tied the contest in the bottom of the second at 2-2 with a RBI single by senior Cody Burton to plate Brandon Lawing from third, before the Delta State offense rallied for eight runs in the fourth to go ahead 10-2. Howell was tagged with three of the eight runs, while reliever Luke Mould allowed five of the runs scored on five hits recording one out in the process.

GSC Player of the Year Colton Simbeck brought the Chargers within seven runs with a solo home run – his 16th of the season – in the bottom half of the fourth to cut the lead to 10-3.

The Blue and White were able to rally for three runs in the sixth, highlighted by consecutive RBI singles by Zach Dugas and Ben Rhodes, to make it a 10-6 Delta State lead. The Statesmen plated another on a wild pitch by reliever Brent Elder with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth.

Walden registered his second RBI base hit of the game in the bottom of the ninth to bring the game to its 11-7 final.

UAH managed a total of 10 hits in the contest, led by Burton and Walden with two hits and two RBI apiece. Simbeck, Dugas and Rhodes each had one hit and one RBI.

Delta State moves on to play West Georgia in the nightcap at Tartt Field, and the winner of that game will move onto the GSC Championship game on Tuesday at noon against GSC regular season champion West Alabama.

The Chargers will wait until May 10 for the NCAA Regional Selection Show to see their fate within the South Region. UAH was ranked fifth in the region on the latest rankings released on April 29. The NCAA Regional Tournaments are scheduled for May 14-17 at campus sites yet to be determined.