MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Valdosta State baseball team went to battle with Auburn Montgomery in the first game of a three-game Gulf South Conference tilt this weekend in Montgomery, Ala., and defensive miscues cost the Blazers down the stretch, as the Warhawks outlasted the Blazers for a 4-3 extra inning win.
Valdosta State got six strong innings from starter Hunter Jones, during which the senior allowed six hits and three walks against four strikeouts. Jones scattered the hits to hold the Warhawks to just two runs, while the Blazers used the bats in the heart of their order to put one run across in three different frames.
Aaron Haughton drew first blood with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning to score Kendall Herron, who led the game off with a single and promptly swiped his 15th base of the season. Carson McCullers, who has come on strong as a freshman in recent weeks and is currently in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, moved Herron up with a single before Haughton gave VSU the 1-0 lead.
Valdosta State fell behind in the fifth after the Warhawks plated runs in back to back innings for a 2-1 lead, but the Blazers tied it back up quickly, thanks to a solo shot off the bat of Andrew Williamson that cleared the left field wall. The homer tied the game at 2-2 and marked Williamson's third home run of the year.
In the eighth, BJ White connected for yet another Blazer round tripper, which also left the park with left field trajectory to put Valdosta State on top 3-2. The Warhawks answered and tied the game in the bottom of the same inning without the benefit of a hit, however, after scoring an unearned run on a pair of miscues by the Blazer defense.
After a scoreless ninth, defensive mistakes cost the Blazers again in extra innings, as the Warhawks used two infield errors to score an unearned run in the bottom of the tenth for a 4-3 walkoff winner.
The loss dropped the Blazers to 9-14 overall on the year, and VSU fell to 3-7 in Gulf South Conference play. Meanwhile, the Warhawks improved to 3-7 in conference play and upped their overall record to 10-11 on the year.
The two teams will return to battle on Friday for a doubleheader to finish off the series. First pitch for game one is slated for 2:00 p.m. EST in Montgomery, Ala.
