OXFORD, ALA.- The Valdosta State softball team fell in a hard-fought 2-1 contest to Alabama Huntsville in the Blazers' first game of the Gulf South Conference Championship tournament.
 
With the loss, VSU (29-22) will play in an elimination game Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET versus the loser of the Mississippi College/ Lee matchup which will take place this evening.  Fans can access links to live stats and streaming on FloSports and audio broadcast on the softball schedule page at vstateblazers.com.
 
UAH (38-14) struck first in the bottom of the second, getting on base early with a hit-by-pitch walk that was later cashed in by a single to right field as the Chargers took a 1-0 heading into the third inning.
 
The game remained a defensive battle until the top of the fifth inning when the Blazer bats came to life. Sophomore Jayme Prandine got the Blazers going offensively with a solo home run to left center to knot the game up at 1-1. Prandine's home run marked the 115th homer for the Blazers this season, earning them the title of most home runs in a single season in Division II history.
 
The Blazers continued to battle, entering the bottom of the seventh inning all tied up at 1-1. With one out on the board, the Chargers walked off the game on a solo home run to center field from Maddie Cartron to win the hard-fought contest, 2-1.
 
Freshman pitcher Toree Wofford (10-3) pitched one of her best games of the season, giving up just five hits for just two runs. She allowed no walks and struck out one batter in 6.2 innings for her eight complete game of the year. Wofford's stellar performance in the circle earned her Guardian Bank Player of the Game.
 
Collectively, Valdosta State had just five hits in the contest including a double from junior Carly Bogart and a home run from Prandine. The Blazers stranded four runners in the game, including two that were left in scoring position.
 
UAH's Katie Bracken (16-4) picked up the win after retiring three straight batters with two strikeouts in the top of the seventh. Meanwhile, Josie Thompson served as the workhorse of the Chargers' bullpen, going six innings while allowing two runs on five hits. She struck out three batters and walked one.