SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – Delta State University (27-29) continued its hot streak with a 6-3 victory over the University of West Alabama (31-22) in the opening round of Gulf South Conference Softball Tournament at Greenbrook Park.  The win gave coach Casey Charles her first victory in postseason play at DSU and the first tournament victory for the Lady Statesmen since 2007.

The Lady Statesmen struck in the top of the first inning off UWA starter Kristen Skinner, as Taylor Hughes, who walked with one out in the frame, came in to score on a throwing error to first by UWA third baseman Morgan Morrison.  Amber Adcock and Taylor Holland delivered back-to-back singles to put Hughes in place to plate the run.  The inning could have been much bigger for the Green-and-White, but Ashleigh Allgood grounded into a double play to end the DSU threat. 

West Alabama answered in the bottom of the frame, as the Tigers plated two runs off DSU starter Brittany Gonzales.  UWA scored its first run on an RBI double by Brooklyn Phillips scoring Morgan Morrison, who doubled to right-center and scratched across their second on an RBI single to right off the bat of Rebecca Schick.

The Lady Statesmen tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third as Maggie Jackson scored from second on Amber Adcock's single back up the box with two outs off Skinner.

Delta State took the 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth on Kendall Sizemore's perfectly executed squeeze bunt single, scoring Katie Hebert from third, who singled to lead off the inning.  DSU loaded the bases with two outs, but UWA's Skinner snatched a potential line-drive single from Adcock out of the air to end the inning.    

West Alabama threatened to take advantage of a one out walk to Kelsey Cooper in the bottom of the fourth, but DSU's Gonzales struck out Nicole Bailey swinging and Taylor Miller looking to end the frame. 

The Lady Statesmen collected their 10th hit of the game and chased UWA starter Skinner from the circle in the top of the sixth on Sizemore's third hit of the game, a single to center.  DSU's Kayla Wilson rudely met Tiger reliever Jessica Brock with a perfectly placed bunt single down the line.  After Jackson bunted the runners over, Taylor Holland delivered a sacrifice fly RBI to right, scoring pinch runner Bre Goley from third.  On the very next pitch, Adcock (4) smashed a Brock offering over the centerfield wall for a two-run home run that pushed the Lady Statesmen lead to 6-2. 

After back-to-back singles by UWA's Taylor Beck and Cooper, Gonzales settled down and retired three straight Tigers to end the threat in the bottom of the sixth to preserve the 6-2 lead.  

The Tigers tried to make a game of it in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Stephanie Shoup smashed her fifth home run of the year off Gonzales, a solo shot to right, to get things going for UWA.  Gonzales came back to strikeout Morrison, retired Phillips on a grounder to short and coaxed a pop out by Schick to end the threat and the game.

Gonzales (14-9) picked up the complete game victory with seven strong innings.  The junior from Denham Springs, La., allowed three runs on 10 hits with two walks and six strikeouts. 

Skinner (13-9) took the loss after working 5.0 innings and giving up four runs.  Brock surrendered two runs on three hits in two innings of work. 

Adock led the Lady Statesmen with a 3-for-4 performance and three RBIs in the win.  Sizemore, a junior from Cleveland, recorded a career-record three hits in the win as well. 

The Lady Statesmen will face the winner/loser of the No. 1 Valdosta State, who defeated West Georgia 14-3 in its opening round game, at 1:30 p.m. at Greenbrook Park.