MONTGOMERY, Ala -- The Delta State University softball team earned a pair of come-from-behind victories on the opening day of the GSC Opening Weekend Festival on Saturday at Lagoon Park. The Lady Statesmen were down 5-1 and stormed back to defeat Montevallo 7-6 in nine innings, then finished the day with a 5-4 win over Alabama Huntsville.

GAME 1: DELTA STATE 7, MONTEVALLO 6 (9)
 
GAME CHANGER:
- With her team trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Kelly Byrd smacked a three-run home run to get the Lady Statesmen to within 6-5. The round tripper was her first career blast. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Despite not recording a hit until the fourth inning, the Lady Statesmen outhit the Falcons 10-7.
- Olivia Dick led DSU with three hits in four trips.
- Mallory Myers and Abi Gibson each had two hits. Myers (double) and Byrd accounted for both extra base hits for the Green-and-White.
- The Lady Statesmen were able to overcome two errors, four wild pitches, four walks and three hit batters.
- Mari Alex Sandridge earned the victory in relief, allowing just two hits in 4.2 innings of work.

KEY PLAYS:
- With Montevallo leading 4-0 in the fourth, Delta State got on the board with an RBI single by Gibson.
- The Falcons made it 6-1 in the fifth on a two-run home run by Mariel Bertossi.
- After DSU scored a run in the fifth, Byrd got the Lady Statesmen to within 6-5 with a three-run home run.
- In the seventh, Dick led off the inning with a single and scored on Gibson's single up the middle.
- The Lady Statesmen won it in the ninth when Dick scored from second. Myers registered a bunt single, jarring the ball loose on a collision with the first baseman that helped DSU plate the winning run.
 
NOTEWORTHY:
- The three-hit game for Dick is the third of her career.
- After combining for just five hits in two games against North Georgia and Young Harris (2.4), the Lady Statesmen totaled 52 hits over their next six games.
 
Game 2: DELTA STATE 5, ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE 4
 
GAME CHANGER:
- Colben Patin's two-out triple, in the fifth inning, scored what proved to be the game-winning runs. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- The Lady Statesmen were outhit 9-8 by the Chargers.
- Gibson and Kaitlyn Eaves each recorded a pair of hits for the Lady Statesmen.
- Madison Bigner earned her first collegiate win, working 3.1 innings of relief while allowing just three hits.
 
KEY PLAYS:
- UAH scored single runs in the first and third innings, and added a pair in the fourth on two RBI singles.
- The Lady Statesmen scored all five of their runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Byrd, a two-RBI single by Eaves and Patin's triple.

NOTEWORTHY:
- The Lady Statesmen have had an extra base hit in all but three of their games this season.
- Byrd has now recorded extra base hits in five straight games.
- DSU has won four games in which it trailed after the fourth inning this year.

NEXT TIME OUT:
- The Lady Statesmen are scheduled to finish the GSC Opening Weekend Festival when they face No. 3 West Florida on Sunday Feb. 18. First pitch is scheduled for Noon.