PENSACOLA, Fla. – An RBI single to center field from Valdosta State junior Natalia Bellinger gave the Blazers a 3-2 victory in 11 innings over Spring Hill College in an elimination game Friday afternoon in the NCAA South Regional. 
 
No. 17 VSU now plays another elimination game against host West Florida at 7 p.m. ET for a berth in the championship game tomorrow versus Tampa.  Friday night's game will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ with Spencer Van Horn having the call.  Check back with vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page for links to live stats and audio/video streaming of the game.
 
VSU junior Taylor Strickland began the inning with a single up the middle on a 3-2 count and then redshirt freshman Kiley Robb reached on bunt single and Strickland advanced to third on an error by the Badgers.  Strickland got picked off, but on the 2-1 count, Bellinger came up with the winner. 
 
VSU ended a 17-inning scoreless drought in the second inning as junior Taylor Strickland drew a walk with one out and then stole second.  Redshirt freshman Kiley Robb doubled to left center for a 1-0 lead.
 
In the third, Spring Hill began the frame with a single from Carlisle Jamison and then a sacrifice bunt moved her to second, followed by back-to-back singles to load the bases.  VSU senior hurler Kasie Johnson came back with a pair of outs to get out of the jam. 
 
The Badgers left two on base in the fourth and the first VSU miscue, but the Blazers began the bottom of the frame with a double to left center from junior Haley Garrett and Robb walked for two on.  Junior Natalia Bellinger had a sacrifice bunt, plating Garrett for a 2-0 lead.
 
With two on for the Badgers in the fifth and two out, Strickland came up with a great play to end the inning as SHC stranded two more.   The Badgers scored their first run of the game as Jamison doubled down the left field line for a 2-1 score as VSU brought in junior Avery Lamb for the sixth. 
 
Two errors by the Blazers began the top of the seventh for the Badgers as Delaney Thomas singled home the equalizing run for a 2-2 score as sophomore Caylie Van Auken replaced Lamb as she retired three-straight to get out of the inning with two Badgers left on base. 
 
VSU left one stranded in the seventh and then put two on in the bottom of the eighth with a junior Lacey Crandall single and a Garrett single, but was unable to score.  The Blazers then stranded two more in the ninth.
 
The game marked the second-straight game for the Blazers of nine or more innings and was the longest in terms of innings of the season for VSU.  VSU now is 4-5 in extra-inning games this season.  The Blazers had three runs on eight hits with three errors.  Garrett, Robb and Bellinger each had two hits as Bellinger was 2 for 4 with two RBI and the game winner. 
 
Van Auken pitched the final five innings to earn the win as she improved to 17-6 on the year, allowing one hit and fanning three as she has had an outstanding postseason for the Blazers.  For the postseason, she has a 0.43 ERA and a 3-1 record in six appearances with two starts.  She has pitched 32.2 innings, fanning 24 and walking just two as the opposition is hitting just .177 against her.
 
SHC's Hannah Brenton (14-8) went all 10.1 innings in the circle, allowing eight hits, three runs, two earned, walked three and fanned five.  Carmen Byrd went 3 for 6 with a run scored, while Jamison was 2 for 5 with a RBI.