HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team is set to close out the regular season this weekend at home, welcoming West Alabama for a three-game series that starts with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and concludes with a 12 p.m. single game on Sunday.
 
UAH enters the weekend at 32-14 (18-9 Gulf South Conference), while UWA visits at 26-20 (15-12).
 
Saturday will mark Senior Day, Alumni Day, and Alabama Credit Union Day at Charger Park, and on Sunday, the Chargers will honor recently retired assistant athletic director Laura Taube prior to the contest.
 
Admission to all three games is free courtesy of Alabama Credit Union.
 
With the season winding down, the importance of contests increases, especially when national postseason implications are considered. In the latest set of regional rankings from the NCAA, the Chargers slipped to No. 7 despite their 11-game winning streak, and victories will be of utmost importance through this weekend and the upcoming conference tournament. 
 
UAH will look for the top of the order to continue to excel, as the trio of Shelby Booker, Kaylee Vaught, and Kiara Akles is hitting a combined .420 on the season with Booker's .438 mark leading the way. With Vaught and Booker frequently on base in front of her, Akles has racked up 49 RBI on the season thanks in part to her 10 doubles and 10 home runs.
 
The Chargers will also look for the pitching duo of Megan Shurtz and Layton Murphy to keep up their strong showings of late, as Shurtz has not allowed a run in four of her last five appearances while the Chargers have wins in each of Murphy's last nine appearances dating back to April 2.
 
The Tigers come to the Rocket City as winners of six of their last seven conference games, and the team has a healthy 13-8 road record. Cassie Matlock leads the team offensively with a .421 average, while Kacy Noland has a team-high 49 RBI to go along with her 14 doubles, three triples, and 49 RBI. In the circle, Hannah Mynard has struck out a team-high 93, though she does own a 5.40 ERA as she has given up 103 runs of which 70 have been earned.
 
UAH is 79-12 all-time against West Alabama including a 41-4 mark against the Tigers at home, and the Chargers have won six straight against UWA.