VALDOSTA, Ga. – Hayden Jones hit a grand slam in the fourth inning while Bryant Hayman and Kevin Cruz added a two-run shots in the eighth as Valdosta State defeated No. 9 West Flordia 12-6 to sweep the three-game Gulf South Conference series.
 
Valdosta State (9-3, 4-2) jumped out to an early lead as it plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mike Reed walked to open the frame, but was retired on a Michael Gouge fielder's choice. Hayman was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base and a wild pitch moved both Gouge and Hayman into scoring position. Jones followed with a single to left that scored both base runners. Kevin Cruz also singled to move Jones to third before Jayk Graham collected a hit up the middle to bring him home for a 3-0 VSU lead.
 
West Florida (7-5, 2-4) responded with two runs in the top of the second as three out of its first four batters of the inning reached via a hit. Jordan Stark opened the frame with a single to center before Nick Kerkmann hit a ball of the glove of a diving Jones at second base to put two on base. After a sacrifice bunt moved both base runners up a base, Tanner Barnhard hit a bloop single down the right field line to bring both Stark and Kerkmann home to cut UWF's deficit to 3-2.
 
The Argonauts added two more runs in the third inning as Kerkmann doubled home Sean Plunkett and Stark before VSU scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Hayman singled home the first run of the frame as his hit to center scored B.J. Harmon, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Jones followed with his third home run of the season, a grand slam over the wall in left to put VSU in front 8-4.
 
Nic Strasser hit his first home run of the year in the top of the seventh to cut VSU's advantage to 8-5 while Hayman hit his fourth home run of the year, with Gouge on first, and Cruz added his fifth roundtripper of the year, with Jones on first, in the bottom of the eighth to push the Blazer lead to seven runs.
 
UWF got its final run in the top of the ninth as Sean Plunkett drove in Alex Greene with a single.
 
Cruz was 5-for-5 to lead Valdosta State at the plate on the day while Jones finished with three hits and six RBI. Hayman added two hits and three RBI. Austin Glorius allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out six to improve to 1-0 on the year.
 
West Florida's Reed Bright gave up five runs on three hits as he fell to 0-1 on the year.
 
Valdosta State returns to action Wednesday, February 25 when it hosts Georgia Southwestern in Billy Grant Field at 5:00 p.m.