VALDOSTA, Ga. – Trailing 4-3 in the sixth, the Valdosta State baseball team hung four runs on Wingate to take a 7-4 advantage to the games' conclusion in non-conference baseball action on Saturday afternoon at Billy Grant Field in Valdosta, Ga.
Wingate got off to a quick start in the game, taking advantage of an early Blazer error that set up leadoff hitter Shane Billings with an opportunity to steal second base and score the game's first run on a follow-up single off the bat of Zach Little. Colby Barnette kept it going for Wingate one batter later with an RBI double to left, and Bill Krebs added an RBI single to put the Bulldogs up 3-0 with nobody out. A pair of wild pitches by Blazer starter
Mitchell Cody allowed Krebs to move up to third and score on a sacrifice fly, before Cody ended the half inning with his first strikeout of the game.
Valdosta State softened Wingate's early blow with a three-run spot in the bottom of the same inning on three hits of their own. Duty singled through the right side between two strikeouts before stealing second base, and the Blazers used an error by Wingate shortstop Brett Branton to extend the inning. Graham, who reached on the aforementioned error, stole second base, and
Marcus Sigmon delivered a clutch single to plate both baserunners. One batter later, York drove in Sigmon from second to cut Wingate's lead to 4-3.
Neither team broke through again until the bottom of the sixth, when Valdosta State sent seven batters to the plate and used a bases loaded double by Sigmon to score three and overtake the Bulldogs with a 7-4 lead. Sigmon's big blow to left chased Wingate starter Jordan Newsome, who finished the game with four strikeouts in five innings of work, and
Ryan Smith added to Newsome's total runs allowed after driving in Sigmon two batters later with a sacrifice fly to center field.
After the first inning, Cody never allowed another run over the course of 6.1 innings of work, and the senior All-GSC hurler struck out seven while allowing just six hits. Valdosta State's big sixth inning helped Cody secure his first win of the year.
Sigmon's 2-for-4 effort at the plate included five RBI's and two runs scored, while York and Smith teamed up for one RBI each.
Dalton Duty also had a strong day at the dish with three hits in four plate appearances.
Play continues for Valdosta State tomorrow at noon with another matchup against Wingate, followed by another contest against Florida Tech at 4:00 p.m.
