SOUTHAVEN – The Lady Statesmen were defeated in the first round of the Gulf South Conference softball tournament by No. 1 Alabama-Huntsville 5-1 Friday with a pair of first inning home runs by the Chargers. 

Kelli Long got into an Edie Oliver pitch and sent it over the right-centerfield fence for the first run of the game, followed by a shot to rightfield by Beth Lawson in the bottom of the first inning. 

The Chargers (46-4) added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning on RBIs by Caitlin Lee and Whitney Hawkins. 

The Lady Statesmen (27-24) cut the lead to three in the top of the fourth inning with a home run to leftfield by Kristi Basso, but the Chargers answered with another run in the bottom of the inning. 

Oliver (18-12) was charged with the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits with five walks and two strikeouts in five innings. 

Lee (8-1) kept the Delta State hitters off balance all day, allowing just one run on two hits in five innings with two walks and two strikeouts for the win. 

The Lady Statesmen will face West Alabama in an elimination game Saturday, May 2 at 9:30 a.m.