MELBOURNE, Fla. | The 16th-ranked University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team opened up regional play on Thursday with a 6-2 victory over Saint Leo. The Chargers improve to 39-15 with the victory, while the Lions slip to 31-17.
 
UAH advances in the winner's bracket to face second-seeded Florida Tech at 9 a.m. CT on Friday.
 
Layton Murphy was strong in the circle for the Chargers, tossing her team-best eighth complete game of the season while picking up her team-high 12th victory of the year as she scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run while also striking out three.
 
Murphy was particularly impressive in a stretch that saw her retire 15 in a row from the last two outs of the first into the sixth inning, and that stretch also featured several impressive plays by Taylor Wascavage at shortstop.
 
Wascavage finished the day with six assists in addition to a pair of putouts including a diving catch to end the fourth and fantastic play to end a scoring threat in the sixth when she ranged to snag a groundball before alertly tagging out a baserunner for the third out.
 
In the game, hits were even at six for both teams as Shelby Booker led the Chargers with three hits including a double on her way to scoring twice, and Alaina Hampton finished with a pair of hits including a double and a solo home run.
 
This is the ninth time this season that Booker has had at least three hits in a game, while Hampton records her fifth home run of the season.
 
The scoring in the contest started in the top of the first when Saint Leo scored its two runs including taking advantage of an error, and though UAH would threaten in each of the first two innings, the Chargers would not get on the board until the home half of the third when Mackenzie Nutt drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Booker.
 
UAH then surged in front in the fourth when Booker put a ball into play and both Shannon Long and Alaina Hampton scored on a Saint Leo error, and another miscue by the Lions on a bunt by Ashley Cornell would yield two more runs as Amber Hammonds and Booker scored to put the Chargers in front 5-2.
 
Hampton then padded the lead in the bottom of the fifth when she hit a towering solo shot over the fence in center.
 
The Chargers will now square off against Florida Tech who defeated Mississippi College 5-2 earlier on Friday. 
 
The Panthers are 40-10 on the season and is ranked No. 4 in the country after winning the Sunshine State Conference regular season title.