The No. 4-ranked Angelo State softball team had its season come to an end Sunday with a 10-0, five-inning loss to No. 5 Alabama-Huntsville in the semifinals of the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship Finals at the James I. Complex in Salem, Va.

The Chargers (54-5) plated two runs in the top of the first and added a six-run second frame to quickly put an end to ASU's run for a second national championship in program history. The Rambelles closed out their 2009 campaign with a 50-10 record, the third 50-win season in the past seven seasons.

UAH began its offensive outburst with a two-out single by Emily Roach, scoring Kristina Prater and Beth Lawson. In the second inning, the Chargers got an RBI single from Prater, a bases-loaded double by Lawson and a run-scoring double by Caitlin Lee to take a 7-0 cushion. Lee would score later in the inning on an illegal pitch. Alabama-Huntsville capped its scoring with a two-run single by pitcher Whitney Hawkins.

Junior right-hander Chelsea Nelson (31-6) was handed the loss after giving up eight earned runs on six hits and one walk in 1.1 innings of work. Nelson ended the season one win shy of the school single-season record of 32 victories, accomplished twice by Kari Galm (2007, 2008). Junior right-hander April Haywood tossed the final 3.2 innings of the contest, giving up two earned runs on five hits with a strikeout and five walks.

The Rambelles collected just three hits of Hawkins, who improved to 21-0 on the season. Hawkins recorded three strikeouts and had one walk and hit a pair of ASU batters.

Junior Nicole Smith and sophomore Alix Dean each went 1-for-2 while freshman Sandy James finished the game 1-for-3 with a double.

The Rambelles made their third-ever trip to the NCAA D-II National Championship Finals, also advancing to the tournament in 2004 and 2007. ASU added a third-place finish to its national title in 2004 and a fifth-place finish in 2007. The Rambelles shattered the team record for slugging percentage in a season at .565 after hitting a school-record 91 home runs and adding 99 doubles, three shy of the school record, and 11 triples. The old mark for slugging percentage was .497, set in 2007. ASU also set new team record with 940 total bases.