MONTGOMERY, Ala. - In the first year Gulf South Conference Crossover Tournament in Montgomery, Ala., the Valdosta State softball team scored a 5-3 win over Christian Brothers before dropping the second game of the day in a 9-2 loss to the North Alabama Lions.
The Blazers struck first in the top half of the first inning of game one after senior Jessica Mohl walked, stole second, and moved up on a Taylor Hartenbach grounder. Following a Cassey Cornelius walk, Cornelius drew a throw to second base on a stolen base attempt, and Mohl used the opportunity to swipe home for a 1-0 Blazer lead.
Christian Brothers fired back in the next two innings, however, and capitalized on a pair of Blazer defensive miscues to plate one unearned run in both the first and the second innings for a 2-1 advantage.
The Blazer bats were held in check throughout next four innings, but VSU overcame a 3-1 deficit in the top of the final frame after a leadoff base hit by Crandall sparked a big finish for the Valdosta State offense. Following Crandall's single through the right side, Danielle Patterson drew a one-out walk. One run crossed on a timely double by Mohl, and the Blazers promptly overtook the Lady Bucs with a clutch two-run double off the bat of senior Taylor Hartenbach, which put VSU on top 5-3.
The Lady Bucs were turned away in the bottom half after Lamb pitched around two singles to close out the contest and improve to 4-0 on the season.
In game two, North Alabama used a steady stream of offense -- highlighted by a four-run fourth -- to outlast the Blazers and improve to 8-2 on the year. Valdosta State's only two runs came in the bottom of the first inning, after Mohl started the half inning with a triple and scored on a Hartenbach sacrifice fly. Cornelius and Heather Robinson followed with a pair of walks before Crandall struck again for an RBI single through the right side.
The two runs weren't enough for the Blazers to outlast the UNA offense, who used 11 hits to hand Kathryn Carter her first loss of the season. Carter is now 4-1 on the year, while the Blazers slid to 11-3 overall.
The Blazers will head right back out on Sunday with a 12:00 p.m. matchup against the defending GSC Champion Mississippi College Lady Choctaws. The event will take place in Montgomery, with live coverage available at www.vstateblazers.com.
