ROME, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazer softball team split their Gulf South Conference opener (3-1, 7-2) on Saturday afternoon in Rome, Ga. against the Lady Hawks of Shorter.
 
The first game remained scoreless until the third frame, when the Blazers scored the first run of the game to take a 1-0 lead after Fran Johnson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
The Blazers went on to score again in the fourth on a Shorter error, and tacked on their third and final run in the fifth inning, when Jaime Phillips singled through the right side and Kiley Rusen drove her in one at bat later with a ringing double to left center.
 
Caitlyn Calhoun earned the win after holding Shorter to run one on just four hits. The junior racked up 12 strikeouts in the game, and walked just two batters.
 
In game two, the Blazers were unable to recover from a fourth inning in which they allowed four runs to score. The Lady Hawks also posted a big sixth inning in which they scored three additional runs.
 
The only runs for VSU came on a pair of solo home runs by Jaime Phillips and Courtney Albritton in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.

Albritton's home run improved her career total to 69, just 11 shy of the NCAA Division II career record.
 
The split moved VSU to 10-2 overall on the season and 1-1 in GSC play. Meanwhile, the Hawks suffered their first loss of the season in the opening game and finished the day with a 6-1 record, 1-1 in league action.
 
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon in Rome, Ga., with the finale set to begin at 1:00 p.m.