OXFORD, Ala. | The UAH softball team earned a 5-4 victory over the Valdosta State on Wednesday afternoon at Choccolocco Park in Gulf South Conference Tournament action.
UAH got on the board immediately in the first inning when Mia Brown drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, scoring Jill Cockrell for a 1-0 lead. The Chargers added to it in the second inning as Baylee Darby singled to left center to bring home Gracie Ashley, extending the lead to 2-0.
The Blazers answered in the third inning with a run-scoring double to cut the deficit to 2-1, but UAH responded in the bottom half of the inning as Alexa Douthitt singled up the middle, driving in Jill Cockrell to restore a 3-1 advantage.
Valdosta broke through in the sixth with a two-run double to left center, tying the game at 3-3. The Blazers briefly grabbed the lead in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3 to put them just three outs away from victory.
But UAH refused to let the game slip away. The Chargers seventh-inning rally began with Baylee Darby doubling to left and McKamey Bratcher coming in to run. Jill Cockrell followed with a single to center, and Brittany Slaten was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Alexa Douthitt then delivered the walk-off hit, a two-run double through the left side that scored Cockrell and Bratcher for a 5-4 win.
Douthitt finished 4-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Chargers' offense. Cockrell scored three runs, while Darby added two hits and an RBI.
In the circle, Megan Shurtz worked the first six innings, allowing four runs on 11 hits while striking out six. Katie Bracken (14-10) earned the win after closing out the seventh inning.
UAH will return to action Friday in the Gulf South Conference Tournament against the loser of the matchup between Mississippi College and Trevecca Nazarene.
