SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – The University of West Alabama softball moves on to the second day of the Gulf South Conference Tournament with a 10-2 win over Henderson State in an elimination game. The Tigers (33-15) fell 1-0 to the University of Arkansas at Monticello to open the conference tournament.

West Alabama faces Arkansas Tech at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 in an elimination contest. Live stats and live audio will be available at www.uwaathletics.com.

Already leading 4-2 heading into the sixth inning of the second outing, UWA erupted with six runs to mercy-rule the Lady Reddies and eliminate HSU from the tournament. 

Valisha Fincher opened the scoring in the frame as she strolled to the plate with bases loaded. The GSC East Division Player of the Year had walked on 12 straight pitches her first three trips to the dish. With no place to be put, Fincher drove a 2-RBI single up the middle that scored Anna Shartzer and Caitlyn Bonham. Jessica Powell followed with a single of her own as she drove in Allison Lockhart, who was pinch running for Taylor Beck. Beck reached on a single earlier in the inning.

Following an Angela Smith walk to reload the bases, Ashley Frost drew a base on balls to score Fincher. Powell later scored on a fielder's choice that erased Smith and put the Red and White within a run of ending the contest in six innings. The mercy-rule clinching win came as Frost scored on a bases loaded walk of Bonham.

Katie Ford (14-4) took the win in the circle. The Garden City, Kan., native tossed the complete six innings allowing seven hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

After the two teams stood tied at 1-all two innings into the outing, Rebecca Schick lifted a three-run home run over the center field fence to put the Red and White up 4-1 in the third inning. The homer was the seventh of the season for freshman.

HSU added it's only other run in the fourth inning before the Tigers exploded in the sixth.

In the opener, the Tigers logged six hits but couldn't find a way to drive a run across the plate. UWA stranded seven on the bases in the losing effort.

The lone run by either team in the affair came in the sixth inning as Rand Perry laid down a bunt single that scored Sarah Hayslip from third base.

Kristen Skinner (16-5) allowed seven hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks in her six innings in the circle.

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