VALDOSTA, Ga., – Shorter scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for a 5-2 win over the University of North Alabama softball team Saturday afternoon, forcing a deciding game for the Gulf South Conference championship. The same two teams will meet Sunday at 10 a.m. EST at Steel's Diamond on the campus of Valdosta State University.
UNA, which entered the day as the tournament's only undefeated team, led 2-0 after five innings and held a 2-1 advantage heading into the top of the seventh. Shorter quickly put two runners on base with a single and an infield fielding error. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, a two-run single by Kendall Johnson gave the Hawks their first lead of the day at 3-2. A two-run double by Kameron Carter then extended the lead and wrapped up the scoring on the day.
UNA got a runner on base in the bottom of the frame but failed to score.
"We played hard, there were just some key plays that we didn't make," said UNA head coach Ashley Cozart. "We had some plays that we made during the regular season that just didn't happen today. At the plate, we got runners on base, but didn't get the big hit when we needed it."
Hillary Carpenter (19-5) took the pitching loss for North Alabama. She entered the game with no outs in the top of the sixth inning in relief of starter Bree Blevins. She allowed four runs (one earned) off four hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Blevins worked the first five innings, allowing an unearned run off three hits with a strikeout. She left after the Hawks scored their first run on an error in the outfield to cut the UNA lead to 2-1. After surrendering a single, Carpenter worked out of a jam with runners at second and third with no outs.
The Lions finished the game with two errors leading to four unearned runs by Shorter.
UNA took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by Booklynn Clark in the bottom of the first inning. The shot to right field scored Reagan Tittle who reached on an error.
In the fourth inning, the Lions made it 2-0 with a pair of back-to-back two-out hits. After a double down the left line by Carey Grace Peebles, a single up the middle by Madeline Lee drove in the run for UNA.
The Lions held an 8-7 advantage in hits, but left six runners on base. Clark and Tittle each finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate.
Shorter, which defeated UAH earlier in the day to stay alive, was led by Johnson and Carter, who had two hits each. Kalei Kimbrell picked up the win in relief, allowing two hits over the final three innings with three strikeouts.
