By: Marese Hudson, Assistant Sports Editor 

VSU softball returns home this weekend for its first games at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park with fireworks already lit, riding a three-game win streak. The Blazers are hosting #24 University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers in a key early-season Gulf South Conference showdown, with both teams entering 3-0 in conference play. 

Chole Eichelberger claimed the GSC Player of the Week first weekly honor of the season and first for VSU softball. She was also named Steel’s Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week after a dominant sweep of Trevecca. She went 6 for 8, hit .750 for the series, slugged 2.000, and totaled three home runs and seven RBI in three games.  

Eichelberger’s weekend was highlighted by two RBI single, giving a spark to VSU and entering this week being number one in batting average with .706 and the highest slugging percentage with 1.294 in the GSC.  

Two other key players for VSU in these high-level GSC games is Toree Wofford and Saylor McNearney. Wofford has the most saves in the GSC with four. McNearney is fifth in runs scored in the GSC with 18, second with 12 in walks, and third in home runs with six. 

VSU softball is third in the GSC with 19 homeruns having ten more than UAH.  

UAH is on a 10-game winning streak, with senior Brittany Slaten leading the GSC with 25 runs, senior infield Alexa Douthitt leads the GSC in hits with 27 and third in runs batted in with 19. Sophomore pitcher Katie Bracken leads the GSC in strikeouts with 71. 

UAH senior Megan Shurtz received weekly honors as she was named GSC Pitcher of the Week, as she was credited with a 5-0 win in the opener after throwing seven innings with seven strikeouts and allowing three hits. This is the first time a UAH player has earned a weekly honor this season. 

The Blazers are currently 7-6 overall and UAH 17-3. 

VSU will face a formidable GSC rival, UAH three times this weekend, with two games being on Saturday, Feb 28th 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., ending the three-game series Sunday, Mar 1st at 1 p.m.