GULF SHORES, Ala. | The No. 23 University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team started off the 2022 season in perfect fashion, defeating Columbus State 7-6 before knocking off Barry 6-3 on day one of the Gulf Coast Invitational. UAH starts the season at 2-0.
 
The Chargers will close out this weekend's action on Sunday when the team takes on Nova Southeastern at 11:15 a.m. prior to a 1:30 p.m. contest against Christian Brothers.
 
UAH 7, Columbus State 6
 
The Chargers fell behind early but then plucked away before eventually going in front and then hanging on for the one-run victory over Columbus State.
 
Lila Young and Kaylee Vaught both had three hits including a double in the contest, and Vaught and Mackenzie Nutt knocked in a pair of runs to help lead the Chargers offensively. 
 
Kiara Akles picked up the win in the circle, going the distance and striking out four in the complete game victory.
 
After the Cougars scored twice in the top of the first, UAH would cut the deficit in half in the home half when Nutt picked up her first RBI of the day when she singled to center to plate Young who had doubled earlier in the inning.
 
The Chargers would then manufacture a run in their half of the second to knot the contest at 2-2. 
 
Laura Harbin started the inning off with a base hit, and she would move to second on a sacrifice from Gracie Green. Harbin then stood at third after a productive groundout from Sadie Thompson moved her over, and she would score on Shelby Booker's single through the left side.
 
The go-ahead run was plated in similar fashion in the bottom of the third, with Young singling to start the frame, moving to second on a sac bunt from Akles, and then scoring on an error when Nutt had a base hit in the next at-bat.
 
A sac fly from Harbin made it a 4-2 game in the bottom of the fifth, and an RBI single from Akles and a double that drove in two off the bat of Vaught in the sixth would give UAH a 7-2 lead. 
 
The sixth-inning runs for UAH proved important as a grand slam by Columbus State in the top of the seventh would pull CSU within one, but Akles induced a grounder to third on the next batter to seal the contest for UAH.
 
UAH 6, Barry 3
 
In the day's closer, UAH would outhit Barry by a 10-6 margin and score a pair of runs in three different innings to cap off the perfect start to the season.
 
The Chargers picked up their first home runs of the season in the contest as both Akles and Harbin homered, helping Akles finish the game with four RBI, while Vaught made it a five-hit day overall with a pair of singles in the contest.
 
The multi-RBI game is the 42nd such performance of her career for Akles.
 
Layton Murphy scatted five hits and allowed just one earned run in picking up the win, while Megan Shurtz picked up the final three outs in her collegiate debut.
 
The team jumping out in front first this time was the Chargers, and it was quickly a 2-0 lead as Akles hit a long fly in the top of the first which also scored Young who had walked. 
 
After Barry made it a 2-1 game in the bottom frame of the first, there would be three scoreless innings before Young had a sac fly and Akles drove in another in top of the fifth to put UAH in front 4-1, and a beautiful 5-4-3 double play would end the Barry half of the fifth to keep it a three-run game.
 
Harbin led off the UAH sixth with a solo shot, and Akles picked up her fourth RBI of the game later in the inning when she put the Chargers ahead 6-1.
 
BU would make it interesting in the bottom of the seventh, but after the Bucaneers scored a couple to pull within three, Shurtz would get the final two outs on consecutive batters to end the contest.