Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Rome, Ga., - The Delta State University Lady Statesmen softball team was within one strike away from sweeping Gulf South Conference leader Shorter University, Friday at Alto Park.
 
The Lady Statesmen (12-18, 6-10) took game one 6-4 in eight innings and lost game two 6-3 on a walk-off grand slam by Shorter's (27-5, 13-3) Bre Johnson.
 
Amber Adcock gave the Green-and-White a 1-0 lead in the top of the third with her fifth home run of the season.
 
DSU tacked on three more in the fifth with a two out rally that included a bases loaded walk by Kaitlin Moore, an RBI single by Emily Todd and a sacrifice fly by Mariah Alvarez.
 
Shorter got its first base hit against DSU starting pitcher Miller Maddox in the bottom of the sixth, as Jackie Castaneda led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. The Lady Hawks plated two runs on four hits in the inning, as Sara Corn and Whitney Hood each had RBI singles.
 
The Lady Hawks tied the game in the bottom of the seventh in dramatic fashion against relief pitcher Brittany Gonzales, as Castaneda who had an RBI single and stole second base, was driven in with two outs by Amanda Dailey.
 
DSU scored what proved to be the winning runs in the top of the eighth, as Kaitlin Moore's bases loaded single with two outs scored Kassidy Tally and Memrie Corley.
 
Gonzales retired the Lady Hawks in order in the bottom of the eighth, as Gonzales struck out two straight batters and forced a fly out to center that ended the game.
 
Gonzales (7-7) took the win in relief, as she allowed one run on two hits in two innings. Maddox allowed three runs on five hits in six innings, and did not allow a hit for 5.1 innings.
 
Christina Ezell (12-1) took her first loss of the season, as she allowed six runs on 12 hits in 7.2 innings of work.
 
Tally finished 3-for-5 in game one. Adcock, Moore and Corley each had two hits.
 
Castaneda and Dailey led Shorter with two hits.
 
Shorter took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third in game two, capitalizing on five hits against DSU starter Brittany Gonzales.
 
The Lady Statesmen got on the board in the top of the fifth, as Amber Mitcham drove in her first run of the season on a pinch hit double to left field.
 
DSU took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, as Caroline Womack's pinch hit single scored Amber Adcock and Alvarez slapped an infield single to third to score Moore.
 
After allowing five hits in the third, Gonzales retired nine of the next 10 hitters going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
After retiring two straight SU hitters to start the inning, Gonzales hit Kayla Cooper and walked two straight hitters, both on 3-2 counts to load the bases. Johnson's heroics for the Lady Hawks came on another 3-2 pitch, as she sent the Gonzales offering over the center field fence to end the game.
 
Gonzales (7-8) allowed six runs on seven hits in the loss. Kayla Byrom (4-1) picked up the win in relief, as she allowed 2 hits in 1.2 innings. Shorter starter Kristen Little allowed three runs on four hits.
 
Alvarez was the only DSU player with multiple hits. Kayla Cooper and Johnson each had two hits for the Lady Hawks.
 
DSU returns to action on Saturday, March 30 for a GSC doubleheader with the West Georgia Wolves at UWG's University Softball Field. The game was originally scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. EST, but has been rescheduled for a 10 a.m. EST start.
 
The games will be carried live on the Lady Statesmen Sports Network.