CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Valdosta State softball team recovered from a tough outing in game one to outlast the Lee Flames in the nightcap and score a 4-3 win in 10 innings on Friday in Cleveland, Tenn.
 
The Gulf South Conference doubleheader pushed Valdosta State to 25-7 overall and 14-3 in Gulf South Conference play, while the Flames slid to 21-10 overall and 10-7 against conference opponents.
 
Timely hits were in short supply for the Blazer bats in game one, as Valdosta State racked up eight total hits but left 11 runners on base.
 
The Blazers biggest missed opportunity came in the top half of the third inning, when VSU loaded the bases on three consecutive hits to start off the frame. Despite the favorable situation, Valdosta State was able to produce only one run on a Hayley Cruthers RBI single.
 
One half inning later, the Flames overturned VSU's early lead with a three-run half inning that included six hits. The three runs, combined with three additional runs in the top half of the sixth inning, were plenty for Lee starter Leigh Beatenbough, who improved to 11-4 on the year.
 
Blazer starter Avery Lamb suffered only her second loss of the season after allowing six runs on 12 hits over 5.1 innings of work. Her record now stands at 10-2 on the year.
 
Game two was the highlight of the day for Valdosta State, and sophomore righty Kasie Johnson was a big reason why. Johnson matched Lee's Taylor Moran pitch for pitch throughout the marathon affair, and allowed just one earned run to cross in the lengthy skirmish.
 
One run for each team during the first eight innings led to an eventful ninth, which Chelsea Canara sparked with a one-run single, before Taylor Hartenbach was hit by a pitch to move Canara into scoring position. Brandy Morgan capitalized on the chance, using an RBI single through the left side to give Valdosta State a 2-1 lead.
 
The run proved to be a critical one, as the Flames used two hits and a Blazer error to knot the contest back up at 2-2 and send the game to the 10^th.
 
The international tie breaker rule was put into effect in the top of the 10^th inning, which placed pinch runner Amber Kling at second base to start the half inning for the Blazers. Lacey Crandall moved Kling up to third on a sacrifice bunt, and Jessica Mohl delivered an RBI grounder to short to put VSU up 3-2. One batter later, Tara McIntyre delivered what proved to be the game-deciding at-bat, when she sliced an inside-the-park-homer past the diving Rachel Polacek and into the left field corner to give the Blazers a 4-2 cushion.
 
The Flames plated their courtesy runner in the bottom half of the frame, but Johnson held on to close the game out for the one-run victory, which lifted the righty to a 5-2 record on the season.
 
Valdosta State will finish the series in the weekend finale on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Cleveland, Tenn.