VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Blazer softball team extended their winning streak to 16 with another convincing 14-0 Gulf South Conference win over the rival Tigers of West Alabama on Sunday afternoon at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.
 
The victory improved the No. 2 Blazers to 26-2 overall and 13-1 in GSC play, while the Tigers fell to 9-14 on the season, 3-11 in league competition.
 
The Blazers sent three runs across in the first inning, two of which scored on a two-run single through the left side by Valdosta native Heather Robinson. Brittany Smith came on to pinch run for Robinson after the base hit, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved up to third on a ground ball, and scored later in the inning on another wild pitch by UWA starter Alli Hall, who fell to 6-10 after the loss.
 
Working with a 3-0 lead in the second inning, Caitlyn Calhoun continued her recent stretch of dominance with a scoreless top half, which set the stage for an eleven run second inning by the Blazer offense.
 
VSU sent 17 batters to the plate in the frame and plated double-digit runs in a single inning for the second straight day. The plethora of runs came on just four hits and one error, as the Blazers used seven walks and one hit batsman to plate 11 runs. Five of those runs were unearned, four came on bases-loaded walks, and one came after Jennifer Phillips was hit by a pitch with the bases-loaded.
 
Six different Blazers picked up at least one RBI in the series finale, and Robinson led the pack with four runs batted in on the day. Meanwhile, Kiley Rusen was perfect at the plate with a 2-for-2 effort that included two walks and two runs scored. Rusen finished the three-game set with a .667 weekend in which she connected for four hits in six at-bats along with three RBI's, three runs scored, and five walks. The junior reached base safely nine times against the Tigers to compile an .818 on base percentage in the GSC series.
 
Calhoun's shutout extended the junior's current streak to 38.1 scoreless innings pitched. The stretch marks the fourth longest in GSC history. Additionally, the victory pushed her streak of consecutive shutouts to six, which establishes the righty as just the third pitcher in conference history to twirl six or more straight shutouts.
 
The win bumped Calhoun's record to 15-1 on the year and marked her 14^th straight complete-game victory. Her win total places her atop the conference wins leaderboard and places her among the top three pitchers in all of Division II softball.
 
Next up for Valdosta State, it's a trip to Memphis, Tenn. to face the Christian Brothers Lady Bucs. The series is set for a 2:00 p.m. EST doubleheader start next Saturday and a Sunday finale at 1:00 p.m. All of the games will be covered via live stats and live audio, available right here at www.vstateblazers.com