MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Late inning dramatics were once again the order of the day in Milledgeville, Ga., as the Valdosta State softball team picked up a non-conference split (2-3, 8-5) on Sunday against Georgia College and State after a game winning home run by Bree Wells in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two.
 
The split moved VSU to 3-1 overall on the year, while the hosting Bobcats evened up their season record at 2-2.
 
The Blazers outhit the Bobcats five to six in the first game of the day, but Valdosta State failed to cash in on a multitude of chances including a one out, bases loaded opportunity in the fourth.
 
GCSU took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning after leadoff hitter Kristen Brooks was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Two batters later, Abi LeRoy swung for an RBI double and moved up to third on a single later in the inning. With the bases loaded and one out, the Bobcats added an insurance run to go up 2-0 when Wells elected to take the out at first on a Faith Flanders groundout to short.
 
The pair of runs were the only runs scored by GCSU until the sixth, when Bobcat catcher Taylor Campbell connected for a solo shot to left. The homer, which proved to be the game-winner, marked one of two hits on the day for Campbell and came after Blazer junior Caitlyn Calhoun had retired 10 straight batters.
 
Valdosta State left the bases loaded with consecutive pop-ups in the third, but bounced back with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to knot the game up at 2-2. Jaime Phillips blasted her first home run and picked up her first career RBI to cut the deficit to one run in the fourth, and Kiley Rusen added the game tying run in the fifth with an RBI single.
 
Calhoun kept the game within reach with three earned runs allowed in six innings of work. She walked just one batter and struck out three, but suffered the loss to fall to an even 1-1 on the season.
 
In game two, Brooks started the scoring again in the top of the first with a leadoff walk, a stolen base, and an advance to third on a wild pitch. She came in to score two batters later on an RBI grounder to second by LeRoy.
 
The Blazers answered in the bottom half of the inning after Albritton slapped her third hit of the day back through the box and came in to score after Jaime Phillips moved her up on a sacrifice bunt before Jennifer Phillips drove her in with an infield single.

The Blazers fell behind 3-1 in the top of the third after back-to-back doubles by LeRoy and Campbell, but VSU evened the contest right back up after Albritton led off the inning with an inside the park homerun, and Jennifer Phillips, who finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI's, hit a looper out to right later in the inning to score Jaime Phillips from second.
 
Two innings later, the Bobcats chose to intentionally walk Albritton to start the inning. The decision backfired when GCSU committed a throwing error as they tried to throw out Jaime Phillips at first on a sacrifice bunt attempt. With runners at the corners, Kiley Rusen swung for the decisive blow, a two run double to the left center field gap.
 
Huntyre Elling, who came on in relief in the third inning, held the Bobcats scoreless until the seventh, when Flanders delivered a two-run, bases loaded single to tie the game up at 5-5.
 
In the bottom half of the final inning, Rusen drew a walk and Jennifer Phillips reached after being hit by a pitch, which set the stage for the Bree Wells. Wells, a junior transfer from Darton State, crushed a two-out, three run walk off shot over the center field wall to give the Blazers the win in the nightcap.
 
The win went to Elling, who earned her first victory of the year after dealing 4.1 innings and allowing two runs with one walk allowed and one strikeout recorded.

Albritton led the way for the second straight day with four hits in five at-bats, and she reached base safely seven times in eight plate appearances. The inside the park home run for the senior accounted for her second home run of the year and marked the 65th of her career. She is now 15 homers away from passing Steph Dunlinger, who set a NCAA Division II record with 79 career long balls during her 2006-09 career at Kutztown.

Next up for the Blazers, it's a four game tournament next weekend in St. Augustine, Fla.. VSU kicks off the weekend action against the hosting Flagler Saints at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 7. Stay tuned to www.vstateblazers.com to follow the Blazer softball team all season long!