Blazers Fall 12-5 to Southern Arkansas

VSU ends season with 43-21 record

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Southern Arkansas scored five runs in the first inning and five more in the second as the Muleriders defeated Valdosta State 12-5 in an elimination game of the 2009 NCAA South Region Tournament Sunday afternoon at Mulerider Field.

The Muleriders (52-10) wasted little time in getting on the board as Dane Lucas reached on a one-out single in the first and safely advanced to second when VSU third baseman Austin Smith committed a throwing error on a James Schroeder fielder's choice. Cannon Lester and Brandon Graves followed with back-to-back doubles that scored three runs while Jeffrey Meadows doubled two batters later to plate Graves. Nick Paschal closed out the first inning scoring with a single to left, scoring Meadows for a 5-0 SAU lead.

Valdosta State (43-21) got two runs back in the top of the second as Clayton Cain and Smith opened the frame with base hits while Blaine Wilson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a fielder's choice erased Cain, Jon Koenigsfeld singled up the middle to score both Smith and Wilson, cutting the VSU deficit to 5-2.

Southern Arkansas sent nine more batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame to build a 10-2 lead. Lester, Graves, Patrick Johnson and Meadows all collected running scoring hits in the frame as five straight Mulerider players reached base in the inning.

Neither team scored over the ensuing four innings before Wilson hit his 14th home run of the year in the seventh to pull VSU to within 10-3. The home run was the 113th of the year for Valdosta State, giving the Blazers sole possession of fourth place in the NCAA Division II single season record book.

SAU responded with runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings while the Blazers tallied their final two in the ninth. Koenigsfeld and Chase Blackwood each tallied run scoring singles in the frame to close out the scoring.

Nick Starrett (2-2) took the loss for Valdosta State as he allowed five hits and five runs, only two of which were earned, in an inning of work. Thomas Tripp surrendered five hits and five runs in the second before Shawn Keill went five inning for the Blazers and surrendered four hits, three over the course of the last two innings, and two runs.

Brian Bird improved to 9-1 as he gave up 11 hits and five runs in nine innings of work. The righthander walked none and struck out three in the game.

Cain collected three hits to lead VSU offensively while Koenigsfeld finished with two hits and three RBI.

Graves and Meadows each tallied two hits for Southern Arkansas while three more batters finished with two each.

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