CLEVELAND, Miss. - A bases loaded hit batsmen to Valdosta State junior Aaron Haughton in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the winning run as the Blazers rallied for a thrilling 8-7 victory over Eckerd College Friday evening in an elimination game in the NCAA South Region II Tournament. 
 
The Blazers (32-22) now will face No. 2-seed and host Delta State in the regional championship Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.  VSU will need to beat the Statesmen twice to advance to the Super Regional round next week.
 
Down 7-6 in the top of the eighth, the Blazers, who hadn't scored since the third inning, used a deep shot through the left side from Haughton as he alertly took second base on a lazy Triton throw into the infield for a double.  Back-to-back wild pitches from reliever Drew Martin plated Haughton for the equalizer.  Martin had been masterful since VSU scored six runs in the first three innings.  He allowed just two hits, the one run, walked three and fanned four over 5.2 innings as the Tritons needed two pitchers to get out of the first three innings.
 
VSU turned an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the eighth and then in the top of the ninth, EC shortstop Chase Achuff came into pitch for the Tritons.  An error by EC allowed Daantji to reach after a leadoff walk for the Blazers.  After two quick outs, junior Logan Stephens battled and drew a 3-2 count walk to load the bases.  Achuff plunked Haughton on the first pitch to score the go ahead run at 8-7.  VSU was unable to score more in the frame. 
 
In the bottom of the ninth, senior hurler Call Graham got the first out on a deep fly out to right field and then Mitch Calandra singled up the middle, but VSU turned a twin killing to end the game for the huge win.
 
Graham (3-1) took the win in 1.2 innings, allowing one hit, while Achuff (2-3) took the loss in one inning, allowing one unearned run, walking two and fanning one.  VSU junior starter Zach Blankenship went two innings, allowing two hits, four earned runs, walked two and fanned one.  Junior Alex Tyson went 5.1 innings in relief, allowing 10 hits, three earned runs and fanned one.
 
Eckerd (31-19) had seven runs on 13 hits with two costly errors, while VSU had eight runs on five hits and no errors.  Daantji went 2 for 3 with a run scored and two RBI, while Haughton was 1 for 2 with two runs scored and two RBI.  Calandra went 3 for 5 for EC with a run scored and one RBI.
 
In the top of the first, VSU came out swinging as Eckerd had just finished a 10-9 elimination win over Embry-Riddle.  The Blazers quickly loaded the bases as Haughton was hit by a pitch to plate the first run of the game, 1-0. 
 
VSU then plated four runs in the top of the second on a two RBI double from Daantji to left center and senior DJ King belted his third round-tripper of the year for a 4-0 lead.  The Tritons got two runs back in the bottom of the second on a single through the left side and a double down the line for a 5-2 score. 
 
In the third, VSU scored another run as Haughton came home on an attempted steal by junior Mike Christopoulos for a 6-2 lead.  Following two walks to begin the bottom of the inning, VSU made a call to the bullpen as Tyson relieved Blankenship.  EC plated five runs on five hits in the inning for a 7-6 score. 
 
Following that, the scoring ceased for both teams until the Blazers scored in the eighth and ninth.  Both Tyson and Martin had strong command of the middle innings of the game.