JACKSON, Tenn. – Valdosta State softball overcame adverse weather conditions on Sunday afternoon to close out a three game weekend sweep over Union with a 6-3 Gulf South Conference win at Fesmire Field.
The Blazers took a 3-0 lead early after
Brandy Morgan ripped a bases loaded double through the gap in left center field to plate
Jaime Phillips,
Hayley Cruthers, and
Chelsea Canara in the first inning. The three-run double came with two outs and pushed Morgan's RBI total on the week up to 10.
Morgan's big swing, followed by a
Taylor Hartenbach walk, chased Union starter Hailey Cummings in the first, but Paige Taylor came in and blanked the Blazers in each of the next five innings.
The Lady Bulldogs surged offensively during that stretch, particularly in the fifth, when Marley Dyess and Emily Bennett teamed up for back-to-back triples to lead off the inning. The two swings, combined with a single to left center field by Reagan Schrader, plated a pair of runs and tied the game as snow began to fall in Jackson, Tenn.
Valdosta State didn't allow the Bulldogs to hang around long though, as junior
Falisia Murphy was called on to pinch hit in the top of the sixth and came through with a home run just inside the left field foul pole. The homer represented Murphy's first as a Blazer and sparked a three-run sixth that also included Phillips' fifth round tripper of the year.
Working with a 6-3 advantage,
Caitlyn Calhoun battled the cold weather and took control in the final two frames. Calhoun recorded three of the final six outs by way of strikeouts, which boosted her total to 12 for the second straight game and improved her record to 15-4 overall.
Top performances of the series included Phillips' 4-for-5, .800 effort,
Tara McIntyre's 5-for-7, .714 weekend, and Morgan's 6-for-10 effort, which led to eight of VSU's 28 runs in the three game sweep.
Valdosta State improved to 23-8-1 on the season and 11-7 in GSC play, while the Bulldogs dropped to 5-28 overall and 2-16 against conference opponents.
The Blazers return to league action next weekend in Valdosta, Ga. with a three-game set against Lee on Friday and Saturday, beginning with a Friday doubleheader at 4:00 p.m. at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.
