VALDOSTA, Ga. - The top ranked Blazers of Valdosta State softball returned to form on Wednesday evening at Steel's Diamond with a pair of non-conference wins (6-1, 8-0) over the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes.
Caitlyn Calhoun allowed a game-tying home run to Lauren Thrasher early in game one, but she held the Hurricanes to just one other hit throughout the duration of the contest to keep GSW at bay and improve her season record to 22-3.
The Blazers plated six runs in game one by way of 11 hits, and the deciding offensive turn came in the bottom of the third, when the Blazers sent eight batters to the plate and belted out four hits for five runs.
Halie Imler sparked the rally with a leadoff bunt single to third base, and
Jaime Phillips connected for her 14th homer in the next at-bat to put VSU on top 3-1.
Fran Johnson followed with another infield single and promptly swiped second base, before
Kiley Rusen joined her on the basepaths with a walk.
Brandy Morgan dropped a well-placed sacrifice bunt attempt, and Keri Tompkins hurried the throw from third base and sailed it into right field. Both Johnson and pinch runner
Brittany Smith scored on the play, and Morgan moved up to second base. During the next at-bat, Morgan stole third base, and
Jennifer Phillips capitalized with a sacrifice fly to center field that put VSU in front 6-1.
Johnson led the way in game one with three hits in four at-bats, while Rusen,
Jaime Phillips, and
Heather Robinson connected for two hits apiece.
Valdosta State remained in complete control of game two, as they swung for ten hits en route to an 8-0 mercy rule victory that was highlighted by home runs for both Morgan and
Jaime Phillips. The pair of long balls, which both came in a three-run fourth, marked the 15th of the year for Phillips and the 10th of the season for Morgan. Morgan, a freshman out of Jasper, Fla., picked up three RBI's on the day, all of which came in the second game. She improved her season total to 45 on Wednesday, and remained in a tie with Alabama Huntsville's Kaitlyn Bannister at second place on the GSC RBI leaderboards.
Huntyre Elling secured the victory to remain perfect on the year with a 12-0 record. She allowed just one hit in four innings of work and turned the game over in the fifth to
Maci Fletcher, who slammed the door on the Hurricanes, retiring three of the four batters she faced in the final frame.
Valdosta State improved their overall record to 39-4 with the victory, while GSW saw their season record fall to 15-25.
The Blazers return to action with a doubleheader GSC opener against the rival Wolves of West Georgia on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Steel's Diamond. The series finale is now slated for a 1:00 p.m. start on Saturday afternoon.
