VALDOSTA, Ga. – Thanks to another no-hitter by Caitlyn Calhoun and a career day at the plate for Jennifer Phillips, the Valdosta State softball team made it 23 straight in front of another large crowd at Steel's Diamond with a pair of Gulf South Conference wins over Union in Valdosta, Ga. on Saturday afternoon.
 
Calhoun recorded a new career high with 14 strikeouts in game one and dealt her fourth career no-hitter en route to another shutout, her 12^th of the season. The complete game effort dropped the junior's season ERA to a sparkling 0.88 and marked the second no-hitter of the week for the Valdosta State pitching staff.
 
Jennifer Phillips and Kiley Rusen teamed up to supply the firepower at the plate in game one, accounting for each of the Blazers' three runs scored. The Blazers were held hitless until the third inning, when Halie Imler led off the frame with a single through the left side. Imler moved into scoring position after Jaime Phillips drew a walk, and Rusen came through two batters later with a two-out RBI single through the middle and into center field. The Lady Bulldogs allowed the inning to continue with a miscue at second on a Brandy Morgan ground ball, and Jennifer Phillips capitalized to give VSU a 2-0 lead with an RBI line drive that UU's Reagan Schrader was unable to secure at third base.
 
Rusen struck again for the third and final run in the fifth, when she laced another RBI line drive to the opposite field in left to plate Jaime Phillips. Rusen's pair of singles in the game represented two of four base hits for the junior first baseman on the day.
 
In game two, the Blazers benefitted from the long ball. Jennifer Phillips started off the scoring for VSU in the third with a two-out, three-run homer to center field that put the red and black up 3-0.
 
Union cut the deficit to 3-1 two innings later with an Summer Cross RBI double off the base of the wall in center field, but Valdosta State answered quickly in the bottom half with back-to-back homers from Morgan and Jennifer Phillips. Jennifer Phillips' round-tripper marked the sixth of the season for the Blazer third baseman, and accounted for one of seven RBI's on the day for the junior.
 
Game two came to an early conclusion in the 6^th when Morgan picked up an RBI single to improve her season total to 38, before Jennifer Phillips blistered a double to right center for two more RBI's. Designated player Bree Wells was hit by a pitch in the ensuing at-bat, and Chelsea Canara launched a walk-off double into the gap in right center field to score Jennifer Phillips and bring the game to an abrupt conclusion.
 
The second game victory belonged to Huntyre Elling, who went 4.2 innings with five strikeouts to lift her record to a perfect 10-0. She allowed only four hits and one run in the contest, and Maci Fletcher came on in the fifth to slam the door on the Lady Bulldogs.
 
The victory marked Valdosta State's 33^rd of the season against just two losses, and Head Coach Thomas Macera's team improved to 18-1 in GSC play. UU fell to 20-13 overall and 8-11 in league competition.
 
Paige Taylor was tagged with the game two loss for Union, while Kelley Robey, the strikeout leader in the GSC, took the loss in game one.
 
Calhoun's no-hitter represented her third of the 2015 season, which placed the Hamilton, Ohio native in a GSC tie for the most no-hitters in one season, a feat accomplished by both Lane Davis of Alabama-Huntsville in 2000 and Sandy Morgan of West Florida in 1999. Calhoun also moved into a tie for third place in the league record books with four career no-hitters.
 
The series against Union comes to a conclusion Sunday afternoon at Steel's Diamond with a 1:00 p.m. matchup. Catch all of the action via live stats and a live audio feed, available right here at www.vstateblazers.com.