OXFORD, Ala. – The Valdosta State baseball team trailed much of the game, but battled back with three runs over the final three innings, but fell to No. 18 Delta State in the first game on Championship Tuesday in the Gulf South Conference Championship. 
 
The Blazers put the tying run at third and had the winning run at first with two out in the bottom of the ninth after plating two runs earlier in the inning.  DSU's Tommy Childree was able to get the final out for his sixth save of the season in his one inning of work.  
 
Despite the loss, the never-say-die Blazers made a great showing in the GSC Championship as the No. 6-seed and came along way from a run-rule loss to Delta State in the first game of the tournament on Friday.  The Blazers (30-21) put themselves in position to potentially earn an at-large berth in the NCAA South Regional, which will be announced Sunday evening on NCAA.com at 10 p.m. ET.  
 
VSU will find out where it stands in the latest region rankings, which will be announced Wednesday afternoon, as the final public ranking before the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship field is unveiled Sunday evening.  
 
Delta State (38-12) moves onto the conference title game against West Florida Tuesday afternoon as the winner will receive the GSC's automatic berth into the NCAA regional next week.  
 
The Blazers scored six runs on 12 hits with one error, while DSU had seven runs on ten hits with two errors. VSU battled back to tie the game at 3-3 with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Statesmen plated four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 7-3 lead.  In the frame, a leadoff single by Brett Young and back-to-back doubles from David Herrington and a two RBI two-bagger from Darek Sargent highlighted the inning. A pair of sacrifice flies plated the final two runs. 
 
Just as in the previous two games, VSU mounted another late-inning rally as it scored one run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single from junior Mike Christopoulos.  Down to their final at bat, senior Josh Broughton began the bottom of the ninth with a single to center, followed by a RBI triple from senior DJ King as Childree came into pitch for Patrick Hodges.  Senior Andrew Williamson came up with an RBI single for the second run and junior Jordan Holt pinch-ran for Williamson, moving to third on a wild pitch and a stolen base.  Childree got a fly out to right field to end the game.
 
The Blazers left men on base in all but two innings and left the bags full in the third for a total of 12 stranded in the game, while DSU left seven on base.  The Statesmen plated two runs in the first inning as Sargent doubled home a run, while Hayden White singled home another run.  Credit VSU starter junior Zach Blankenship, who got out of the inning without further damage as DSU left the bags full.  
 
VSU left two on base in the bottom of the first, but cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second as junior Jon Jon Burkett tallied an infield single to shortstop for an RBI on a 3-2 count for a 2-1 score.  
 
DSU's Josh Russell belted a solo home run in the third for a 3-1 lead, as VSU came back in the bottom of the inning with a run from Broughton on a throwing error by the Statesmen with two out.  VSU loaded the bases as Hodges came in for DSU starter Melvin Frazier.  Hodges got a fielder's choice out as VSU left the bags full. Williamson came up big for the Blazers in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single up the middle with two out for a 3-3 score.   
 
For the game, Williamson was 2 for 5 with two RBI, while DJ King was 2 for 5 with two runs scored and one RBI.  Blankenship went 3.1 innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, walked two and fanned two.  Junior Bryce Van Horn, who pitched 2.2 innings, took the loss (1-1), allowing three hits, three earned runs and fanned one.  Freshman Heston Mosely pitched the final two innings, fanning two.  
 
Sargent went 3 of 5 with two runs scored and three RBI for the Statesmen.  Herrington went 3 for 4 with two runs scored.  Frazier went just 2.2 innings, allowing four hits, two runs – one earned, walked three and fanned three in the start.  Hodges (1-0) took the win as he went 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, four earned runs and fanned four.