VALDOSTA, Ga. – For the second time in a week, the Valdosta State baseball team dropped an extra-inning game as visiting Kentucky Wesleyan scored battled back from a 3-1 deficit for a 4-3 victory in ten innings, to avoid being swept Monday afternoon.
The Panthers loaded the bases with two singles and a walk with one away in the top of the second. Chase Andrews laced a single to left for a 1-0 lead on a 2-2 count. Junior hurler
Tristan Cone got the second out courtesy of a strikeout and, on a 2-2 count, got a fly out to center for the third out as KWC left the bags full for the third time in the series and first in this game.
In the bottom of the inning, senior
Aaron Haughton doubled to center scoring senior D.J. King, who began the frame with a double. Junior
Jowenrick Daantji hit a single to second base, plating Haughton for a 2-1 lead. Senior
Andrew Williamson hit a single to center, plating Daantji for a 3-1 lead.
KWC's Joseph Burke began the top of the third with a solo home run to right field for the first round-tripper of the series for either team, trimming the VSU lead to 3-2. Cone fanned two after the solo shot for his fourth strikeout in three innings.
VSU got two errors with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but the Panthers came up with a great turn and throw behind second base from Ben Wilcoxson to end the inning without any damage for KWC, keeping the score 3-2.
Wilcoxson, who was hitting .083, began the top of the fifth with a triple to right. VSU made a call to the bullpen in favor of junior
Bryce Van Horn. A fielder's choice and error plated Wilcoxson for a 3-3 score. A hit batsmen put runners at first and second with one out. Van Horn got a strikeout for the second out and pitching change followed as VSU brought in junior
Sean Gabel and pinch-hitter Zach Allen drew a 3-2 walk to load the bases for the second time in the game. Gabel got out of the jam with a ground out to second for the final out as KWC left the bags for once again.
Two walks and an intentional walk loaded the bases for the Panthers in the top of the sixth, but Gable navigated the frame getting a fly out to right to end the inning as the Panthers left the bases full for the third inning in the game.
Junior
Trevin Eubanks pitched the eighth for the Blazers and struck out the side with a walk and wild pitch. KWC set the Blazers down in order in the bottom of the eighth for the third-straight inning.
VSU junior
Jordan Holt drew a one out walk in the bottom of the ninth marking the first base runner for the Blazers since the fifth inning. Prior to that, the Panthers had retired 12-straight. Senior
Mack Hathcock hit an infield single for two on with two out. KWC got out of it with a ground out sending the game to extra-innings.
A one out chopper over third and a stolen base put the Panthers in business in the top of the tenth. Eubanks fanned Bradlee Fuhrhop for the second out. Andrews hit a single through the right side, plating the go ahead run and reached second on an error by the Blazers.
KWC brought in its closer in Alex Franzen for the tenth as VSU had the middle of its order due to hit. King had a one out single to shortstop bringing the winning run to the plate. A ground out to first moved King into scoring position. Franzen got a fly out to end the game for the save.
VSU fell to 10-5 on the year and 0-2 this season in extra-inning games. Last Tuesday, VSU battled back to tie and force extra-innings at No. 23 Saint Leo, but the Lions scored in the bottom of the tenth for a 6-5 win. In the game Monday, the Blazers tallied three runs on seven hits with two errors, while KWC had four runs on seven hits with three errors.
King was 3 for 5 with a run scored to lead the Blazers, while Andrews was 2 for 3 with two RBI, including the winning RBI single.
Eubanks (0-1) took the loss in three innings, allowing two hits, one earned run, walked one and fanned six. Joey Lara (1-0) had the win in relief in 2.1 innings, allowing one hit, walked one and fanned two. Franzen picked up his first save of the season.
The Blazers have a quick turnaround as they head to Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game, followed by returning home to host Union this weekend in a three-game conference series at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.
