OXFORD, Ala. – UWF Softball's hopes of a Gulf South Conference Championship came to an end Friday, as the Argos lost an extra-innings heartbreaker to the Valdosta State Blazers, 7-8.
 
UWF (36-16, 22-8) went down by multiple runs in three separate innings but battled back to bring the game within a run twice. In the seventh and down to their final outs, the Argos extended the game by tying it up on a Jessie Baughan RBI single.
 
In the eighth, UWF got two runners on but stranded them both, allowing Valdosta an opportunity for a walk-off. The Blazers took advantage of the opportunity in the bottom of the inning, walking it off on an Abby Sulte RBI-single down the left field line. 
 
UWF and VSU are the two highest-scoring squads in the GSC, with the Argos totaling 400 runs with today's performance, and the Blazers getting up to 397. The Blazers added two more long balls to their NCAA leading 119 home runs, which earned five RBI combined. UWF is third in the NCAA with 89 home runs. 
 
The high-scoring affair saw ten runners left on base for UWF, and another seven for the Blazers. 
 
Emma Brice led the way for the Argos with a 4-5 (.800) performance. The sophomore also earned a run and an RBI in the effort. Chelsea Dumas and Hannah Harper both went 2-4 at the plate and scored twice in a game full of single and double base hits for the Argos. 
 
Harper also relieved Montana Young on the mound midway through the bottom of the third inning, putting together a solid performance in just over four innings of action. The sophomore allowed two earned runs with five strikeouts, including a scoreless sixth and seventh that stranded multiple VSU runners and pushed the game to extra innings. 
 
UWF 7, VSU 8 in 8 innings
 
Valdosta State jumped on the Argos early, with the Blazers' Katie Proctor sailing a three-RBI home run to left field in the first inning. UWF responded in the second with a pair of sac-fly RBI from Jessie Baughan and Jessica Ford that scored Madelyn Vasquez and Hannah Harper. 
 
At 2-3 VSU in the third, the Blazers once again jumped out to a multiple run lead on power hitting. This time, Saylor McNearney barreled a pitch to center field for a two-RBI home run, signaling the pitching change for UWF.
 
Both teams failed to score in the fourth and in the fifth UWF once again cut the score to one run with a Brice RBI double that scored Dumas. Erin Moon brought in Brice on an RBI single to close out the frame. 
 
Valdosta didn't flinch and took the air out of the Argos dugout with several singles and a double. The Blazers went up 4-7 heading into the sixth inning, but the Argos continued to fight their way back for a third time. Dumas started things off with an RBI single, scoring Baughan. Dumas worked her way to third and was scored on a passed ball. Harper and the Argos held off VSU in the sixth down 6-7. In the seventh, UWF had Bella Holliday and Harper on with Baughan up to bat. Down to their last outs, Baughan singled through the right side, scoring Baughan and giving the Argos a chance at extras. 
 
Harper did her part in the bottom of the inning, striking out the last two outs and sending it to the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, a single put the winning runner aboard and an error advanced her to third. GSC co-Player of the Year Abby Sulte stepped up and singled to left field, scoring the walk-off run and advancing VSU to the next round of the tournament over the Argos, 7-8.
 
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The NCAA DII Softball Selection Show airs at 9:00 a.m. CT on Monday on NCAA.com. UWF came in ninth in the most recent regional ranking released Wednesday, and needs to be in the top eight teams to qualify. 
 
Keep up on West Florida Softball by following @UWFSoftball on X, Instagram, and Facebook.