SAINT AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The No. 24 Valdosta State softball team won two games Saturday at the Old Coast Classic, hosted by Flagler University.  The Blazers downed Eckerd 3-2 in the first game and won 7-5 over Embry-Riddle in the second game.  The Blazers improved to 4-3 on the season following the wins.  
 
The Blazers will conclude the Old Coast Classic Sunday at 10 a.m. versus Wingate.  Check back with vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page for complete results of Sunday's game.  
 
In the opener, Eckerd got on the board first with a solo home run Ally Costa in the first at bat of the game on a 2-2 count of VSU junior starter Morgan Cushman, who had the win against the Tritons in relief yesterday.  Cushman got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.  The run marked the first time VSU had allowed a run in the first inning this season (5-0).  
 
The deficit was short lived for the Blazers as senior Jordenne Gaten began the bottom of the first with a single to third and she stole second.  A walk followed and a wild pitch moved Gaten to third.  Senior Logan Hill singled home two runs for a 2-1 lead and a great sacrifice bunt from sophomore Carly Joiner put runners at second and third with one away.  Eckerd pitcher Hannah Perkins got out of the jam without further damage as VSU left two in scoring position. 
 
Eckerd's River Glenn began the second with a double to center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.  Cushman fanned the final two batters of the frame for her third and fourth strikeouts of the contest as Eckerd left a runner at third.
 
In the fourth, senior Avery Lamb replaced Cushman and a single down the right field line followed and an RBI double from Hannah Famiano tied the game at two.  In the bottom of the inning, senior Natalia Bellinger reached on an error, stole second and scored on a sacrifice bunt from senior Haley Garrett for a 3-2 lead.  
 
VSU sophomore Samantha Richards came in to pitch the sixth as the Blazers held a 3-2 lead as she retired the Tritons in order.  The Blazers had the insurance run at second in the bottom of the sixth, but were unable to score. 
 
Richards fanned Famiano for the first out in the seventh, battling back from a 3-0 count for the punch out and her second strikeout of the game. Richards fanned her third of the game for two away, but put the tying run on base with a walk.  She fanned Costa looking for the final out of the game.  
 
VSU (3-3) tallied three runs on three hits for the game as Hill was 1 for 3 with two RBI.  Junior Nicole Pennington walked twice and a scored a run in the game, while Gaten was 1 for 3 with a run scored and a stolen base.  VSU had three stolen bases for the game.  
 
Eckerd (2-2) was led by Costa, who went 2 for 4 with a run scored, a home run and an RBI.  The Tritons had two runs on six hits with one error, which plated what would be the winning run in the bottom of the fourth.  Perkins (1-1) went six innings, allowing three hits, three runs – two earned, walked three and fanned four in the loss.
 
Lamb (1-0) earns the win in relief of Cushman, going two innings, allowing three hits and one earned run, while fanning two.  Richards picks up her first save of the season in two innings, walking one and fanning four.  Cushman went three innings, allowing three hits, one earned run and fanned five.  VSU recorded 11 strikeouts in the game and fanned just four times.
 
The Blazers then took on Embry-Riddle in the second game of the day as VSU opened the scoring in the second inning with a leadoff home run from Hill and an RBI single from senior Lacey Crandall for a 2-0 lead.   VSU added two more runs in the third as Hill hit her second home run of the game for a 4-0 lead.  
 
The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as they loaded the bases with nobody out.  On an 0-2 count, ReAnne Drayton singled up the middle for a 4-1 score as junior Shayne O'Connell replaced Richards in the circle.  A walk plated the second run of the frame and a sacrifice fly plated the third as O'Connell got out of the inning with a strikeout.  
 
VSU answered right back in the top of the fifth with a leadoff home run from junior Nicole Pennington and then two errors by ERAU helped to load the bases.  Crandall came through with a two RBI single up the middle for a 7-3 lead.   ERAU pulled within 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth as two errors by the Blazers led to an unearned run as O'Connell had the Eagles 0-2 and two out before the second miscue plated the run. 
 
Down to the final at bat, VSU needed three outs to get the victory, O'Connell walked the leadoff hitter Lisa Hop.  Maggie Scott then singled and she and Hop advanced to second and third, bringing the tying run to the plate.  An infield single loaded the bases with nobody out.  O'Connell got a huge double play as Katy Thompson lined into the twin killing, leaving runners at second and third.  On a 1-2 count with two out, ERAU scored a run with a wild pitch for a 7-5 score and a 2-2 count to Drayton.  O'Connell bested Drayton for a fly out to right to end the game.  
 
 
VSU tallied seven runs on eight hits with two errors for the game as Hill went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, three RBI and two home runs.  Crandall went 2 for 3 with three RBI and Pennington was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI, including a home run.  O'Connell (2-2) earned the win in relief as she pitched four innings, allowing three hits two runs – one earned, walked two and fanned one.  Richards went three innings, allowing three hits, three earned runs and she fanned four.