PENSACOLA, Fla. - An emotional loss made for a tough end to a great season, as the Valdosta State softball team saw their bid for a South Regional Championship bid fall short in a 7-6 loss to the West Florida Argonauts in Pensacola, Fla. on Saturday.
 
Trailing 5-2 in the fifth inning, senior Hayley Cruthers cracked a double into the right field gap, before juniors Brandy Morgan and Taylor Hartenbach both homered in the same inning to give the Blazers a three-run surge and tie the game at 5-5.
 
Two innings later, Morgan homered again in the top of the seventh to break the tie and give VSU their first lead since the top of the first inning. Two hits and two defensive miscues in the bottom of the final inning, however, gave the Argonauts a comeback walk off win and secured the team a hosting opportunity in next week's NCAA D2 South Super Regional.
 
The Valdosta State offense matched UWF with 11 hits in the contest, five of which were for extra bases. The Blazer pitching staff was unable to solve the Argonauts' leadoff hitter Jacey Castro, however, who fueled West Florida's offense in the game with a 4-for-4 effort that included two RBI's and three runs scored. Castro finished the game a triple shy of the cycle.
 
Morgan's two homers lifted her to a career-high 16 on the season, while Chelsea Canara's first inning double pushed the senior to a league-high 17 on the year. Cruthers went 2-for-4 in the contest with a double and a run scored.
 
Valdosta State finished their season at 39-19 on the year, while the Argonauts improved to 43-13. The loss marked the second of the weekend to the Argonauts. Both were one-run losses.