SAINT AUGUSTINE, Fla. –  The No. 4-ranked Valdosta State softball team, playing for the first time in 12 days, split a doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Flagler.  The Saints won the opener 2-0, while VSU won the nightcap, 3-1 with three solo home runs.  VSU is 11-3 on the year, while Flagler moved to 10-10.  
 
Flagler 2, #4 Valdosta 0 (Game 1)
In the opener was a pitcher's duel as the two pitchers combined to allow six hits, two runs, walked one and fanned 12 as the game was just one hour and 26 minutes.    
 
VSU had runner on in the first inning courtesy of an error by the Saints, but was unable to score.  The Blazers put two on in the fourth as junior Lacy Crandell tallied the first hit of the game for either side after a walk to junior Dream Aaron with one out.  A fielder's choice out at third kept two runners on, but Flagler pitcher Kyra Gipson got a pop out to end the threat.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Saints tallied two runs and three hits as Maria Kappos began the frame with a double and Natalie Murphy singled to center and advanced to second on the throw.  Morgan Murphy hit a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead and then the Saints tallied an infield single for a 2-0 lead.  
 
In the seventh, junior Haley Garrett singled to left with one out, but Gipson came back with her sixth strikeout of the game and a fly out ended the game.
 
VSU had two hits in the contest as junior Caylie Van Auken (6-1) dropped her first game of the season, allowing four hits, two earned runs and struck out six.   VSU left four runners stranded, while Flagler left just one on base.  
 
Gipson (5-3) went the distance, allowing two hits with one walk and six strikeouts.  
 
#4 Valdosta State 3, Flagler 1 (Game 2)
In the nightcap, junior Logan Hill belted a solo home run in the first inning for a 1-0 lead.  Flagler evened the score in the bottom of the frame as Kappos singled to center, plating the equalizing run.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Flagler got a double to begin the frame and moved the runner to third, but N. Murphy flied out to left to end the threat is it was the first base runner for either team since the first inning.
 
VSU junior Taylor Strickland hit a solo home run to left in the top of the fifth with two out for a 2-1 lead. Both teams left runners stranded in the sixth as Flagler left its second runner at third in the game. 
 
In the seventh, VSU added the insurance run as junior Haley Garrett belted a home run to center for a 3-1 lead.  Back-to-back singles began the bottom of the seventh for the Saints, but Flagler lined into a double play for the first two outs and junior hurler Giovanna Watts got the final out for her first save of the season.
 
Watts pitched the final frame as senior Kasie Johnson went six innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, walked none and fanned six to improve to 4-1.  
 
VSU tallied three runs on four hits with one error, while Flagler had one run on five hits.  

The Blazers come home for the 2019 home-opener Sunday at 2 p.m. versus Union at Steel's Diamond.