CLEVELAND, Tenn. – It took ten innings to do it, but Valdosta State broke through for three extra inning runs to claim a 5-2 win over Lee and take two out of three in the weekend Gulf South Conference road series on Saturday in Cleveland, Tenn.
 
After three hits in the first inning and a couple of RBI singles by Tyler Homer and Elias Macias, the Valdosta State Blazers went eight straight innings without scoring another run. The Blazer pitching staff, led by starter Troy Massaro, scattered 13 hits during that same stretch, however, to keep the game close.
 
Valdosta State used the opportunity in the 10^th to score three runs on two hits and an error in the top of the frame. Chipper Andzel was struck by a pitch to spark the inning with one away, and LU first baseman, Peyton Meeker mishandled a throw to first on a David Wortham sacrifice bunt attempt. With two aboard and one away, Clint Carr gave VSU a 3-2 lead with one of his three hits on the day, an RBI single to right center.
 
On the next play in the 10^th, head coach Greg Guilliams called for the squeeze play, and Kendall Herron was there to answer with a bunt single for an RBI. Ryan Slaughter proceeded to draw a walk to load the bases, and Homer added his second RBI of the day with a fielder's choice groundout to second base to put VSU up 5-2.
 
Valdosta State's Beau Blair, who came on to help the Blazers escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, went the rest of the way for the Blazers to pick up the win. After striking out the side in the bottom of the 10^th, Blair improved to 3-1 on the season as a reliever, lowered his ERA to 1.44, and boosted his strikeout total to 32 in just 25.0 innings pitched.
 
The victory marked Valdosta State's 20^th of the season and lifted the Blazers to a 20-10 overall record and an 11-7 mark in conference play for a third place tie in the GSC standings. The Flames, meanwhile, fell to 20-11 on the year and 9-9 against league opponents.
 
A midweek matchup waits in the wings for the Blazers, as Valdosta State will welcome Georgia Southwestern to town on Wednesday, March 29^th. The non-conference showdown will begin at 5:00 p.m. at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.