ALBANY, Ga. – The No. 16 Valdosta State softball team swept a doubleheader from Albany State on Tuesday afternoon.  VSU won the opener 8-1 and then scored six runs in the top of the eighth for a 12-6 win in the nightcap. 
 
For the doubleheader, VSU hit .406 with 28 hits, 20 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, four home runs and drove in 18 RBI.  The team slugged .710 and reached base at a .430 clip, while going 7 for 7 in stolen bases.  The Blazers committed three errors leading to two unearned runs.
 
Junior Haley Garrett went 6 for 8 from the plate with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI, while scoring five runs in the twin bill.  Redshirt freshman Kiley Robb was 5 for 7 with five runs scored, two doubles, one home run and two RBI.  
 
In the circle, senior Kasie Johnson tossed a complete game, four-hitter, allowing one run, no walks and fanned nine, while sophomore Caylie Van Auken also pitched a complete game, going eight innings, allowing ten hits, six runs – four earned, walked two and fanned ten.
 
In the opener, VSU got off to a quick start as it plated three runs in the first inning, highlighted by Robb's round-tripper for two runs and an RBI double from junior Dream Aaron. VSU plated single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, followed by two runs in the sixth on a two-run double from Garrett and one in the seventh. The Golden Rams plated a run in the bottom of the seventh for the final margin of 8-1.  
 
VSU once again took the early lead in the nightcap as Aaron hit a sacrifice fly in the first for a 1-0 lead.  The Blazers added a run in the third for a 2-0 lead on an error by ASU, but the Golden Rams cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning on an RBI bunt single for a 2-1 score.
 
The Blazers made the score 3-1 in the fourth on a home run from sophomore Ashley Biddle, but ASU plated three runs in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back home runs for a 4-3 ASU lead.  
 
ASU's lead was short lived, however, as VSU scored two runs, one unearned and a sacrifice fly from Biddle to regain the lead in the fifth and added another run in the sixth on Garrett's blast for a 6-4 lead.
 
Two miscues by the Blazers in the bottom of the sixth led to two runs for the Golden Rams as ASU tied the game at 6-6.  In the final half of the seventh inning, the Golden Rams had the potential winning run on a triple but the runner was gunned down for the final out sending the game to extra-innings.
 
In the eighth, VSU exploded for six runs on six hits for a 12-6 advantage, highlighted by a Garrett two RBI double and a two RBI triple from junior Jordenne Gaten.  In the bottom of the inning, ASU loaded the bases, but was unable to score.  
 
The Blazers head to Montevallo for a key Gulf South Conference series this weekend and will return home to host Christian Brothers Apr. 13-14 at Steel's Diamond.  Check back with vstateblazers.com on the softballs schedule page for links to live stats, streaming and ticket information for this weekend's series at Montevallo.