VALDOSTA, Ga. - Eleven hits and four home runs helped lift the Blazers to a 10-2 victory in five innings in Gulf South Conference softball action against West Florida on Sunday afternoon. The victory capped off a weekend sweep for the Blazers at home in Valdosta, Ga.
The triumph bumped VSU up to 14-2 overall and improved the team's GSC record to 5-1. Meanwhile, West Florida's woes continued as they fell to 1-12 overall and remained winless in conference play at 0-6.
"We had a few mistakes here and there, but overall, the girls played great this weekend," said Head Coach Thomas Macera after wrapping up the three-game sweep. "We're just going to continue to look at the big picture. The girls understand that, and we know they're going to keep working and not get complacent."Courtney Albritton set the tone for the second straight game with a leadoff homer in the first inning, her third of the weekend and her 10th of the 2015 season. The solo shot ignited a three run surge in the opening inning, as freshman
Brandy Morgan kicked off her day with a two-run triple off of the safety railing along the top of the outfield wall in center field.
Leading 3-0 in the second, VSU poured on with another three-run inning that was highlighted by a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Taylor Hartenbach and
Morgan Butler's first home run of the year, a towering two-run shot to center.
Caitlyn Calhoun stayed reliable in the circle for the red and black with another solid effort. Her only hitch came in the fourth when she allowed the Argonauts to score two runs on three hits and an error.
Samantha Smith, who got her first career start at second base on Sunday, helped get those two runs back in the bottom of the same frame, however, when she unloaded on her first career home run to left center field. The homer accounted for one of two round-trippers in the inning, as
Kiley Rusen sparked the fourth with a tape-measure solo shot to center field to lead off the inning.
"It really goes back to the way we practice," said Macera on Smith's performance. "These girls work hard at practice every day and they know there will be times when they'll get an opportunity. She got the first start of her college career against a conference team today, and we asked
Chelsea Canara to play shortstop for us which she's never done here. They both stepped up and I'm happy for both of them."
The contest ended early by way of the mercy rule in the fifth inning when the Blazers took an eight run lead on an RBI single by Hartenbach that drove in Albritton, who reached earlier in the inning, stole second, and moved up on a Rusen sacrifice bunt.
Calhoun earned the win to improve to 8-1 overall on the season, while UWF's Kalyn Chapman suffered the loss and fell to 0-5. Calhoun retired nine straight batters to start the day, and struck out four batters in the contest while allowing just five hits and no walks.
Valdosta State will hit the road again next weekend for their next scheduled GSC series, a three-game set against the Lady Statesmen of Delta State in Cleveland, Miss. The opening double-header is scheduled for Saturday at 3:00 p.m. EST, and can be followed live at www.vstateblazers.com.
