VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 6-ranked Valdosta State softball team kicked off the weekend with a bang on Saturday, after taking both of the series' first two games (5-0, 10-2) for a Saturday sweep over the Union Bulldogs at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park in Valdosta, Ga.
It didn't take long for the Blazers to set the tone of the day, as
Chelsea Canara followed
Jessica Mohl's leadoff single with a two-run missile over the left center field wall to give VSU a 2-0 lead just two batters into the bottom of the first.
Two innings later, senior
Hayley Cruthers sparked her big day with a double to left center, and after moving up on a passed ball, she came in to score on a
Brandy Morgan sacrifice fly to center field.
Cruthers made her mark again in the fifth with an RBI single to drive in Mohl, and freshman Hayley Fowler added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to complete the scoring for the Blazers. The 5-0 lead proved to be plenty for freshman hurler
Avery Lamb, who picked up her fourth shutout of the season to improve to 9-1 on the year.
The Bulldogs put some early pressure on Valdosta State in the second game of the twin bill and struck first in the top of the second, when pitcher Gabby Morris helped out her own cause with a solo shot to right center. The run put Union on top 1-0, but VSU fired right back in the bottom half with a clutch two-out RBI by Fowler.
Both teams added another run in the third, before the Blazers broke the game wide open in the bottom of the fourth. VSU's half of the decisive inning was brought about by four hits and one UU error, and
Tara McIntyre's timely two-run single accounted for two of five runs scored by the Blazers with two outs.
Cruthers was the star of the day for Valdosta State with a 5-for-7 effort at the plate. She used four RBI's to boost her season total to 41, a number which currently leads all of NCAA Division II softball. In addition, the Blazer first baseman lifted her batting average up to .458 on the year, placing her among the top five hitters in the Gulf South Conference.
Kasie Johnson, who came on in relief of
Kathryn Carter in the fourth, held Union in check and benefitted from VSU's offensive surge to pick up the win and improve to 4-2 on the year. Morris suffered the loss and fell to 4-5.
As a team, the Blazers improved to 23-6 overall on the year, and lifted their league-best GSC record to 12-2. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs dropped to 4-10 against league opponents and fell to 14-12 overall.
The Blazers will close out the weekend series at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.
