VALDOSTA, Ga. – Aiming for their seventh consecutive Gulf South Conference championship, the Blazers of Valdosta State softball now have a hill to climb after dropping their opening game of the 2015 GSC Tournament 5-3 to the Shorter Lady Hawks on Thursday evening at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park in Valdosta, Ga.
 
The loss marked the second for Valdosta State in less than a week and dropped the top seeded squad to 46-6 on the year. Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Shorter picked up their second win of the day to advance in the winner's bracket and improve to 33-14 on the season.
 
Caitlyn Calhoun and Amanda Blanchard matched each other pitch for pitch throughout the first three innings of the contest, but Shorter struck first in the fourth inning with a two-run shot to left center field off the bat of Ericka Bynum. The homer represented Bynum's second of the day and brought home Kendall Johnson, who reached on a bunt single to start the frame.
 
Working with a 2-0 lead, Blanchard received additional support in the top half of the fifth, when Hannah Draper led off the inning with a single and moved into scoring position on a Carson Carriker sacrifice bunt. A Janell Echols grounder advanced Draper to third before Niki Cook, the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year, drew a two out walk and promptly stole second base. Left fielder Maggie Meacham then capitalized on the opportunity with a two-run single to put the Lady Hawks up 4-0.
 
The Blazers didn't go away without a fight, however. Valdosta State returned blows in the bottom half of the fifth after Chelsea Canara sparked the Blazer offense with a leadoff double into the left center field gap. Kelly Gordon looped a single into right in the ensuing at-bat and moved up to second base on a ground out to third base off the bat of Halie Imler. Jaime Phillips notched her 48^th walk of the year to load the bases for Fran Johnson, who delivered a clutch opposite-field single to plate the Blazers' first run of the game. Kiley Rusen followed with a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to 4-2, but that was all VSU could muster, as Shorter pitcher Kalei Kimbrell tossed back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
 
Shorter scored an additional insurance run in the top of the final inning after Cook slapped a base hit down the left field line that squirted away from Brandy Morgan, who came up short on a diving attempt. Cook netted a triple on the swing and came in to score one batter later when Meacham poked an infield single back through the middle and out of the reach of Calhoun.
 
Valdosta State made things interesting in their last opportunity with a two-out rally that was sparked by a pair of walks to Morgan and Jennifer Phillips. Canara struck again with an RBI double to trim Shorter's lead to 5-3, move Jennifer Phillips to third, and place herself in scoring position as the potential tying run. Kimbrell dodged another bullet, however, as she induced a foul out to third base to seal the upset.

Calhoun suffered just her fourth loss of the season, while the victory for Blanchard marked her 16th of the year. Kimbrell's effort resulted in her second save of the day and her sixth of the season.

The Lady Hawks will square off against North Alabama on Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the winner's bracket, while the Blazers drop into the loser's bracket and will go head-to-head with the rival Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
 
Blazer Nation can follow all of the 2015 GSC Tournament coverage at the Tournament Central web page, which includes tournament info, a bracket, results, and live links for all of the weekend action.