ALBERTVILLE, Ala. | The No. 20 University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team earned a pair of victories on Friday, defeating Columbus State 8-0 in five innings before knocking off Union 7-1. The Chargers are now 5-1 on the season.
 
Next Time Out
-The Chargers return to action next weekend when the team travels to Montevallo for a three-game series beginning with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
 
UAH 8, Columbus State 0
Game Changer
-A five-run third for the Chargers that included four RBI singles broke open what had been a scoreless game to that point.
 
Inside the Box Score
-The Chargers outhit the Cougars by a 10-2 margin.
-Mackenzie Nutt finished the contest 2-for-3 with three RBI, and Reagan Malone and Lila Young joined her with a pair of hits.
-Layton Murphy earned the shutout in the circle, striking out three and running her scoreless inning streak to 10 on the season as she didn't allow a run while permitting just the two hits.
 
Key Plays
-Reagan Malone had the only hit of the game through the middle of the third inning, but the Chargers would end up sending 11 to the plate in the home half that saw each of Shelby Booker, Nutt, Alaina Hampton, and Young drive in runs.
-Columbus State threatened to immediately get back into the game, loading the bases in the top of the fourth before Murphy got a big strikeout to end the inning and keep the Chargers ahead 5-0.
-Nutt would earn her third RBI of the game in the bottom of the fourth, putting UAH's lead at 6-0 when she tripled in Booker who had walked earlier in the inning.
-After Murphy stranded a pair of runners in the top of the fifth, Young would reach on a fielder's choice that plated Heather Phillips, and Eve Mallard ended the contest when she doubled into center to produce the 8-0 final.
 
Noteworthy
-Murphy moves to 2-0 in the circle, and she maintains her pristine 0.00 ERA.
-Nutt now has three triples on the season, and is tied for the team lead in RBI with 12.
 
UAH 7, Union 1
Game Changer
-Kiara Akles earned the complete game in the circle and was also strong offensively, going 3-for-5 at the plate to help the Chargers earn the sweep on the day.
 
Inside the Box Score
-UAH outhit the Bulldogs by a 10-6 clip.
-In addition to the 10 hits, the Chargers also walked six times.
-Joining Akles with a multi-hit game was Booker who was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
-Heather Thompson drove in a pair of runs, and each of Booker, Nutt, Mallard, and Malone also knocked in a run in the contest.
-Akles struck out six in the seven innings, scattering six hits and allowing just one run.
 
Key Plays
-It was a scoreless affair until the top of the second when Young tripled in Malone and Heather Thompson, and after Akles stranded a pair of runners in the top of the third, UAH would have a three-run top of the third with Hampton and Malone both recording run-scoring base hits before Thompson had an RBI groundout to give the Chargers a 5-0 lead.
-Keeping the momentum with the Blue and White, Akles would help erase a one-out single in the bottom frame as she induced and started a 1-6-3 double play.
-The score remained 5-0 until the top of the seventh when Carlie Monsour grounded out to short to plate Malone before Thompson scored on a Booker base hit up the middle to make UAH's advantage 7-0.
-Union would push a run across in the bottom of the seventh to create the 7-1 final.
 
Noteworthy
-This marks the first win in the circle for Akles since April 28, 2019, when she earned a victory against Montevallo.
-Young's triple is UAH's eighth of the season, giving the team a .686 slugging percentage on the year.