MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team fell in its opening game at the 2022 NCAA Division II South 1 Regional on Thursday, dropping a 5-0 decision to No. 4 seed Nova Southeastern on the campus of Auburn Montgomery. The fifth-seeded Chargers slip to 38-16, while NSU improves to 38-12.
 
The Chargers will now face the loser of No. 1 seed AUM and No. 8 seed Tuskegee tomorrow in an elimination game scheduled for 3:30 p.m. 
 
The UAH offense was held in check by NSU's Ashley Connor who earned her 18th win of the season and lowered her ERA to a 1.23 after holding the Chargers to just five hits while earning her seventh shutout of the season.
 
Alaina Hampton had the most success against Connor on the afternoon, putting together a 2-for-3 day including a double while each of Shelby Booker and Lawren Hayes had a hit and a walk. UAH's other hit belonged to Sadie Thompson.
 
Going the distance in the circle for UAH was Layton Murphy who surrendered 10 hits and the five runs while striking out four.
 
Through the early stages of the game, Murphy wiggled out of trouble, leaving the bases packed in the first and leaving another runner on in both the bottom frames of the second and fourth.
 
But the Chargers had opportunities also, leaving one on in the second, a pair in the third, one more in the fourth, and an additional pair in the fifth, and that allowed NSU to take the lead when it scored four times in the home half of the fifth.
 
The Sharks then added a run in the sixth and used a double play to keep UAH off the board in the seventh to create the 5-0 final.