OXFORD, Ala. | The No. 5 University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team has won the 2023 Gulf South Conference Softball Championships with a 1-0 victory over West Alabama in the GSC tournament final at Choccolocco Park on Saturday afternoon. UAH improves to 44-9, while UWA slides to 41-12.
 
This is the Chargers ninth all-time GSC Championship, as the program last won the league's tournament in 2008. Also, this the fifth time in program history UAH has gone undefeated at the GSC tournament.
 
UAH is now tied for first in GSC history with nine conference championships.
 
As GSC Champions, UAH has earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships in the South Region. The Chargers were recently fourth in the NCAA South Region rankings, and the 2023 NCAA Division II Softball Championships selection show is set for Monday at 9 a.m. CT.
 
UAH will be making its 25th all-time appearance in the NCAA tournament, which will also be the 20th consecutive time the Chargers have earned a berth.
 
The Chargers had a total of four players named the GSC All-Tournament Team including Lawren Hayes, Jada Henderson, Josie Thompson and Katie Bracken. Bracken was additionally honored as the GSC Championships Most Outstanding Player.
 
UAH took the lead in the early going on Saturday with one run in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI single to left by Kaylee Vaught, and that was all the offense the Chargers would need in the lowest scoring game in a GSC tournament final since 1994.
 
The Chargers were backed by stellar pitching throughout the tournament final, as Josie Thompson started and tossed 4.2 scoreless innings with zero walks and two strikeouts. Thompson earned the win for her first career GSC tournament victory.
 
Bracken finished off the final 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to pick up the save. Overall in the GSC tournament, Bracken went 3-0 in the circle with one save.
 
This was the UAH softball program's 27th all-time appearance in the GSC tournament.