SOUTHAVEN – It was a bitter end for the 2009 Lady Statesmen softball team as the Gulf South Conference Tournament was called due to rain on Sunday. In what became a single-elimination tournament, Valdosta State was crowned as the champion after a 5-3 victory over Arkansas Tech. 

Delta State finished the year with a 27-24 record and went 15-15 in GSC play under first-year head coach Casey Bourgoyne. 

The end of the year also brought the end of storied careers for seniors Kristi Basso and Brittany Tillery. Basso hit the first five home runs of her career this season and finished with 22 RBIs, and Tillery earned Second Team All-GSC honors after leading the team with a .341 batting average with five home runs and 28 RBIs. 

Junior pitcher Edie Oliver finished the season 18-12 with a 2.54 ERA on her way to Second Team All-GSC honors, while junior third baseman Brittany Eikner earned First Team honors with a .280 average with five home runs and a team-second 27 RBIs.