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Box Score 2 HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Valdosta State claimed a 12-10 victory in the first game of a doubleheader and trails No. 7 Alabama-Huntsville 13-8 in the seventh inning of a suspended game two in a Gulf South Conference baseball doubleheader at Charger Park Friday afternoon. The second game was suspended due to inclement weather and will be finished prior to the series finale on Saturday.
Valdosta State (20-12, 12-8) jumped out to an early lead in the first game as it scored the first six runs of the game.
Michael Gouge opened the scoring with his seventh home run of the season in the top of the third inning, a shot to right-center with
Mike Reed on base that put VSU in front 2-0.
The Blazers added four more runs in the top of the fourth inning.
Hayden Jones doubled to open the Blazer half of the fourth and moved to third as
Kevin Cruz flied out.
Bobby Rice followed with a single to center to score Jones and moved to third as
Jayk Graham collected a double.
Zac Goodno proceeded to hit his second home run of the season to put the Blazers in front by six runs.
Alabama-Huntsville (25-5, 14-5-1) got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Colton Simbeck RBI single, only to have
Ryan Smith hit his first career homer for the Blazers in the top of the sixth to once again put VSU in front by six runs at 7-1.
The Chargers responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on an A.J. Walden double only to have VSU respond with a run-scoring double by Jones and a sacrifice fly by Rice in the seventh. After UAH closed to within 9-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Valdosta State scored two runs thanks to a bases loaded error in the eighth inning and added a sacrifice fly by Graham in the top of the ninth to grab its largest lead at 12-5.
Alabama-Huntsville made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth as Chandler Brock hit a sacrifice fly for a run and Walden added a two-out grand slam, but
Austin Glorius struck out Trey Mathis to end the game.
Mitchell Cody allowed eight hits and five runs in 6.1 innings as he improved to 6-1 on the season for Valdosta State while Daniel Koger gave up seven hits and six runs in 4.0 innings as he fell to 7-1 on the season for Alabama-Huntsville.
Gouge was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three driven in to lead VSU offensively in the game. Reed tallied three hits in five at-bats while Jones and Smith also had two hits each for Valdosta State, which finished the game with 14 hits in the game.
The Blazers scored six runs in the top of the first inning of game two to once again grab the lead, but saw Alabama-Huntsville respond with 13 runs, including two grand slams, in the bottom of the inning. VSU scored two more runs in the second inning before the two teams played scoreless for the next four innings prior to the stoppage of play. The game will continue at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, with the top of the Valdosta State order, Reed, Gouge and Cruz, due up to bat.
