VALDOSTA, Ga. - The No. 9 Valdosta State softball team was swept in a doubleheader against the visiting No. 2 West Florida Argonauts, 6-3 and 4-1 at Steel's Diamond.  VSU fell to 16-7 overall and 5-5 in Gulf South Conference action, while UWF improved to 27-3 and a perfect 11-0 in league play. 
 
#2 West Florida 6, #9 Valdosta State 3 (Game 1)
The Lady Blazers struck first in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run moon shot off the bat of sophomore Kiley Robb. The homer marked the second baseman's fifth of the season as she plated Taylor Strickland to put VSU up 2-0 early. The Argonauts answered back in the second with two solo home runs to tie the score at two. 
 
The offensive onslaught came in the third inning when UWF strung together four hits and plated three batters to take the lead 5-2 over the Lady Blazers. In the fourth, West Florida struck again with a double off the bat of Rhiannon Sassman to extend the Argonaut lead, 6-2.
 
VSU chipped away in the fifth when junior Jordenne Gaten singled up the middle to start things off for the red and black. Gaten advanced to second with an error committed by the UWF pitcher and eventually reached third from a sac fly by Logan Hill. In a wild first-and-third play, West Florida catcher Jackie Poling threw the ball to second base to try and catch the runner, which allowed Gaten to steal home and put the Blazers in reach at a 6-3 deficit. 
 
In the top of the seventh, junior Giovanna Watts stepped onto the rubber to relieve Avery Lamb in a bases-loaded situation and got out of the jam by retiring three straight batters. The Blazers tried two pinch hitters to cut the lead in their last effort but fell short in the bottom of the seventh to finish the ball game. 
 
VSU recorded five hits on three runs with one error, while West Florida had six runs off of ten hits and one errors. 
 
Sophomore Caylie Van Auken (6-3) was dealt the loss in her three innings pitched, allowing eight hits, five runs- five earned, and struck out two batters. Lamb put in three innings of work from the rubber, facing 15 batters and only allowing two hits and one run before being relieved by Watts who retired three straight batters for the Lady Blazers. 
 
#2 West Florida 4, #9 Valdosta State 1 (Game 2)
VSU struck first once again in the first inning when Gaten crushed a double down the left field line. Strickland placed a sacrifice bunt down to advance Gaten to third followed by a Logan Hill walk. Another thrilling first-and-third play allowed both Hill to advance to second and Gaten to steal home to put the Lady Blazers ahead 1-0. 
 
UWF did the rest of the scoring in the game, starting off with a double by Sassman in the third to plate one run, followed by three straight runs in the fifth to put Argonauts up 4-1 and secure the victory. 
 
VSU recorded just two hits on one run with one error, while West Florida had four runs off of seven hits and no errors. 
 
Senior Kasie Johnson (7-3) put in four innings of work, allowing five hits, three earned runs, walked two and fanned five. Giovanna Watts (2-1) relieved Johnson as she pitched 3 innings, only allowing two hits and giving up no runs. 
 
Valdosta State will look to get back on their feet in the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. right here at Steel's Diamond.