GSC Championship Central

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The No. 4-seed Valdosta State Blazer softball team dropped a 2-1 decision in the first game of the 2019 Gulf South Conference Championship Thursday afternoon to No. 5-seed West Alabama.  VSU will play an elimination game Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET versus the loser of the No. 8-seed Delta State vs. No. 1-seed West Florida. 
 
West Alabama (29-21) used a two out, 2-2 hit from Nicole Buccieri for two RBI in the top of the first inning as it held up for the win.  VSU junior Logan Hill laced a RBI double down the left field line for a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the third as the only runs in the game. 
 
VSU had its chances as junior Haley Garrett and sophomore Fallyn Johnson each singled in the first inning and advanced to second and third, but was unable to score as UWA pitcher Nora Keehn came back with a strikeout and fly out. 
 
Junior Taylor Strickland doubled to begin the bottom of the second, but Keehn got out of the jam as it marked the third runner in scoring position VSU had left stranded and then the Hill RBI double in the third. 
 
The Blazers (33-15) had a chance in the fourth as Strickland singled to shortstop and a sacrifice bunt moved her to second, but got caught in a run down between second and third ending the threat.  From there, Keehn retired the final nine in order for the win. 
 
During the first day of the championship, all three of the lower seeds won as West Georgia beat Mississippi College in the 3/6 matchup, while Union downed Alabama Huntsville in the 2/7 game in a nine-inning thriller, 12-11, while UWA downed VSU in the 4/5 game.  Top-seeded West Florida was leading No. 8-seed Delta State in the bottom of the fifth as of this writing, 6-2. 
 
The Blazers tallied one run on five hits with no errors, while UWA had two runs on seven hits with one error, which lead to the Blazers' run.  VSU senior Kasie Johnson took the loss (14-6) as she went just two innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, walked two and fanned one.  Sophomore Caylie Van Auken pitched the final five innings, allowing three hits and fanning four. 
 
Offensively, Strickland was 2 for 3 with a double for the Blazers, while Grace Self was 2 for 3 for the Tigers and Buccieri was 1 for 3 with two RBI.
 
Keehn went seven innings, allowing five hits, one unearned run, walked none and fanned three. 
 
The Blazers (34-14) will look to rebound tomorrow as Spencer Van Horn will have the call of the game on 107.5 FM and talk1075.com.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more on the softball schedule page.