CLEVELAND, Miss. | The No. 8 University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team dropped the series finale at Delta State on Sunday as the Lady Statesmen hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to cap off a wild 9-8 ballgame. The Chargers move to 30-9 (14-4 Gulf South Conference), while DSU improves to 20-16 (10-11 GSC).
 
Game Changer
-After the Chargers manufactured the game-tying run in the top half of the inning, Taylor Picou ended the game with a home run to left to create the 9-8 final.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Delta State outhit the Chargers by an 8-6 margin in the contest.
-Kiara Akles went 2-for-3 with five RBI and a pair of runs to lead the Chargers offensively.
-Shelby Booker, Jada Hayes, Ashley Cornell, and Amber Hammonds were responsible for the other hits for UAH, and Hammonds drove in a pair of runs.
-UAH utilized five different pitchers in the game with Layton Murphy taking the loss.
 
Key Plays
-The game was a scoreless affair until the bottom of the third when Delta State appeared to take complete control by scoring seven times in the inning, but the Chargers immediately started to chip away when Akles hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth to make it a 7-2 game.
-The guests then put together a big inning of their own as Akles and Hammonds both drove in a pair on singles in the fifth before a double steal that included Cornell swiping home to tie the game at 7-7.
-Delta State broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth to go up 8-7.
-In the top of the seventh, Booker reached on an error, stole second, and advanced to third on a sac bunt by Hayes, allowing her to score on a sac fly to right by Akles which tied the game at 8-8.
-Picou then homered on the third pitch of the bottom frame to win the game.
 
Noteworthy
-Akles had a fantastic series as she drove in nine runs over the three games to move her season total to 33, and she now has seven home runs on the year.
-The five RBI for Akles matches a single-game high by a Charger this year, equaling the five that Jada Hayes had against Lee on March 11 and against Miles on March 26.
 
Next Time Out
-The Chargers will be off until Friday when the team opens up a three-game series at West Alabama with a single game. First pitch in Livingston is set for 6 p.m.