MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Blazers of Valdosta State softball have taken control of the Gulf South Conference in recent weeks, and the team aims to extend their league leading position this weekend in Memphis, Tenn. against Christian Brothers.
Riding a 16-game winning streak, the Blazers enter the weekend with a streak of dominance last week that included five wins in which the team outscored the opposition 45-3.
The weekend's matchup features the Blazers, who hold the league's best record at 26-2 overall and 13-1 in GSC play, while the Lady Bucs rank last in the conference with a 6-18 overall record and a 2-10 record against league opponents.
Despite having won just six games on the year, two of those victories came on Thursday when the Lady Bucs posted a pair of convincing wins over Stillman in Tuscaloosa, Ala. CBU scored 20 runs in the midweek doubleheader and allowed just five runs on the day while being led by third baseman Jennifer Gonzalez, who posted two of the five highest single-game RBI totals in school history in the twin bill. Gonzalez drove in six RBI's in the first game on Thursday, which broke the school record of five held by Casey King (2008 at West Alabama), Hannah Shackelford (2005 at West Alabama), and Kim Adams (2011 at Lane).
The Blazers will be looking for another team hitting effort, and will be reliant in part on another strong weekend by first baseman
Kiley Rusen, who led the red and black in last weekend's series against West Alabama with a .667 hitting effort that included four hits in six plate appearances along with three runs and three RBI's. The junior spent the entire weekend on the base paths, as she reached safely nine times in 11 plate appearances.
Brandy Morgan, who recently won her fourth consecutive GSC Freshman of the Week honor, has been an offensive juggernaut against conference opponents this season. In league play, the freshman is hitting .400 with team highs in home runs (6), RBI's (21), and total bases (35).
All of the weekend action will be carried live at
www.vstateblazers.com with a variety of live coverage, including audio, video, and live stats.
