FLORENCE, Ala. – The Valdosta State softball team fell in a doubleheader sweep (1-0, 4-2) at the hands of the North Alabama Lions in Gulf South Conference action on Friday in Florence, Ala.
The Blazers suffered defeat in game one after failing to connect for a base hit against UNA's Hillary Carpenter, who picked up the win to improve to 5-0 on the season.
Carpenter walked three in the contest, and
Hayley Cruthers nearly spoiled the no-hitter with a well-hit fly ball to left in the top half of the final inning. The deep fly came up just short, however, and Carpenter finished with her second no-hitter of the young season, after North Alabama scored one run on three hits in the bottom of the 6
th for the only offensive support that Carpenter would need.
The Blazers immediately regained traction in game two, thanks to a leadoff homer by
Jaime Phillips, who blasted a solo shot to center field to give VSU an early 1-0 lead.
Facing
Huntyre Elling, the Lions fired right back in the bottom half of the inning with Reagan Tittle's first homer of the season. Two innings later, Bailey Nelson singled up the middle, and Courtney Shields followed with another base hit through the right side that pushed Nelson to third base. With runners at the corners, Tittle picked up her second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to right, and Brooklynn Clark pushed UNA's lead to 4-1 with an RBI single. The offensive surge brought
Maci Fletcher into the circle for VSU, and the junior induced a groundout to end the inning.
The Blazers pieced together one final push for a comeback in the top half of the 7
th, after back-to-back walks and a wild pitch allowed Phillips and
Kiley Rusen to reach and move into scoring position.
Taylor Hartenbach extended the inning and plated a run with a two-out RBI single on the infield to narrow UNA's lead to 4-2, but the game concluded on a hard hit ball in the air off the bat of
Brandy Morgan that went right to the center fielder.
Elling, who pitched faced 13 batters in 2.2 innings of work, took the loss for Valdosta State to fall to 2-2 on the season. Meanwhile, UNA's Raven Cole picked up the win to improve to 7-1.
The pair of setbacks marked the first back-to-back regular season losses for Valdosta State since April 6, 2014. Valdosta State fell to 6-3-1 overall and 0-2 in conference play, while the Lions improved to 13-1 overall and started their conference schedule at 2-0.
The three game set continues tomorrow in Florence, Ala. with a 2:00 p.m. finale.
