VALDOSTA, Ga. – Bryant Hayman tied a Valdosta State single game record as he collected six hits to lead Valdosta State to a 25-3 victory over Paine in non-conference baseball action at Billy Grant Field Sunday afternoon.
Hayman's six hits tied a record originally set by Mike Jones during the 1985 VSU season. The senior failed to reach base only once during the game as he struck out in the seventh inning. Overall, Valdosta State tallied 24 hits in the game as it batted around in three different innings.
Valdosta State (4-0) took advantage of an error to open the second inning to score four runs in the frame.
Bobby Rice reached second on the error to open the frame and scored two batters later when
Jayk Graham doubled. A sacrifice bunt and walk to
Mike Reed followed before
Michael Gouge doubled home Graham and Reed. Hayman followed with a single to left that scored Gouge to give VSU a 4-0 lead.
The Blazers tacked on three more runs in the third inning.
Kevin Cruz doubled to open the frame and moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring when
Zac Goodno reached on a two-base error.
Jayk Graham followed with a triple to the left-field wall that plated Goodno. A B.J. Harmon single to right scored Graham to push the VSU advantage to 7-0.
Paine (1-6) got two runs back in the top of the fourth inning as VSU starter
Austin Glorius walked three batters in the frame, but the Blazers batted around and scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to push their lead to 11-2. Rice, Goodno and Reed all collected run-scoring hits in the frame.
Dominique Smedley walked and moved to third on a Gouge single in the bottom of the sixth before scoring on a wild pitch while Hayman drove Gouge home with a single.
The Lions got a pair of hits in the top of the seventh to plate their final run while VSU scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning, including two-run doubles by both Smedley and Cruz, and added five more in the eighth.
Gouge finished the game 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two driven in while Cruz was four-for-seveb with two runs scored and three driven in.
Glorius allowed two runs, one scored, on a hit and three walks in 3.2 innings in a no-decision.
Jared Stanley came out of the bullpen and walked two while striking out three in 1.1 innings to improve to 1-0 on the season.
Valdosta State returns to action Wednesday, February 11 when it hosts Albany State at Billy Grant Field. The game, which was originally scheduled to be played in Albany before being moved to Valdosta this week, is slated for a 5:00 p.m. first pitch.
