VALDOSTA, Ga. - The No. 19 Valdosta State softball team returns to Gulf South Conference play this weekend with a key series against Lee University.  The Blazers and Flames begin the three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader, followed by a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.
 
VSU enters with a 14-4 record overall and a league-best 5-1 mark in GSC play.  The Blazers have won six-straight games, including a doubleheader sweep of Coker on Tuesday.  VSU won the opener 7-0 behind the second-straight no-hitter from junior Shayne O'Connell as she fanned 11 and walked two.  VSU capitalized on four Coker errors as senior Jordenne Gaten was 2 for 4 from the dish with two runs scored and three RBI, including belting her sixth home run of the season.  In the nightcap, VSU jumped out to a 6-0 lead with five runs in the second and won 9-3.  Freshman Morgan Hill belted her first home run on her first collegiate hit in the game – a three run shot.  Sophomore Samantha Richards went the distance, allowing four hits, three runs – one earned, walked one and fanned 14.  VSU fanned Coker 25 times during the twin bill. 
 
For the Lee series, fans can access links to live stats and streaming at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.  VSU leads the all-time series with Lee 7-3-1, and went 2-1 in Cleveland, Tenn., last season.  VSU has won five of the last six and is 4-0-1 against the Flames in Valdosta.
 
The Flames are 12-6 overall and 3-3 in league play after taking two of three from Christian Brothers last weekend.  Lee outscored CBU 10-5 in the series.  Lee has faced one non-conference team VSU has played this season in Lubbock Christian.  LCU downed Lee 8-0 in five innings in Gulf Shores, Ala., while LCU defeated VSU 4-3 in eight innings in Gulf Shores.  
 
For the season, the Flames are hitting .305 on 141 of 462 from the dish, while scoring 86 runs with 18 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 76 RBI.  The team is slugging .422 and reaching base at a .377 clip with 45 walks and 11 hit batsmen.  Lee is 39 of 45 in stolen bases and has 19 errors on the year leading to 10 unearned runs.  Individually, Taylor De Addler leads the team with a .413 average in 18 games.  She is 19 of 46 from the plate with two doubles, one home run and 18 RBI.  She is slugging a team-best .522 and reaching base at a .508 clip with 11 walks.  Kayla Louie is hitting .407 with a team-high 24 hits in 59 at bats, while scoring a team-high 19 runs, two doubles, one triple and driven in two.  She is 15 of 16 in stolen bases, while Lily Hatcher is third in average at a .360 clip on 18 of 50 and leads the team in stolen bases at 16 of 16.  She is eighth nationally in stolen bases to lead the league, while Louie is third in the league in thefts and 13^th nationally. Brooklynn Frazier leads the team with four home runs on the year. 
 
In the circle, Lee has a 2.73 ERA in 115.1 innings, allowing 107 hits, 55 runs – 45 earned, walked 52 and fanned 118.  Teams are hitting just .240 against the Flames this season.  Lee has six complete games and three shutouts.  Lulu Vasquez is 6-3 with a 1.55 ERA in 58.2 innings of work, allowing 40 hits, 19 runs – 13 earned, walked 33 and fanned 66 as teams are hitting just .186 against her.  She is third in the league in strikeouts per seven innings at 7.9 per game.  Sonna Penney is 5-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 36.2 innings, allowing 36 hits, 17 runs -13 earned, walked 11 and struck out 37.  Teams are hitting .255 against her. 
 
The Blazers are led this season by senior Logan Hill, who has been outstanding as she leads the nation in home runs with ten, while sophomore teammate Kiley Robb is sixth nationally in home runs and right behind Hill at second in the GSC with seven round-trippers.  Hill is 20^th nationally in RBIs with 23 to lead the league, while she is third in the league in runs per game at 1.06.  She is fourth in the league in on-base percentage at a .531 clip, while she is sixth nationally in slugging percentage at a 1.078 clip to lead the GSC.  She is fifth nationally in total bases with 55 for first in the league.  Robb sits fifth in the league in runs per game at 1.00, while she is sixth in the conference in slugging percentage (0.759) and sixth in the league in total bases with 41 for 60^th nationally. 
 
In the circle, O'Connell is second in the league in ERA at a 1.14 clip for 34^th nationally, while she is 21^st in hits allowed per seven innings (3.91) and third in the league.  O'Connell is eighth in the league in strikeouts (47), while Richards is third in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.00) for 38^th nationally.  She is 44^th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.6) for fifth in the conference and is 47^th nationally for fourth in the league in WHIP (0.98).  
 
As a team, the Blazers lead the league and are 11^th nationally in double plays with nine, while they are 16^th in ERA (1.85) for second in the league and 17^th in fielding percentage (.973) for second in the conference.  VSU leads the nation in home runs (31), while it is 16^th in slugging percentage (.527) for second in the league and fifth in the league in total runs with 111 for 39^th nationally.  The Blazers are 24^th nationally and third in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.91), while they are 22^nd nationally in WHIP (1.12) for third in the conference. 
 
Between Hill's ten home runs, Gaten's six and Robb's seven blasts, the trio has 23 home runs, which is more than each of the rest of the GSC teams (12).  It also is more than all but seven teams in all of NCAA Division II softball.
 
Following the series against Lee, the Blazers host Flagler on Wednesday, Mar. 11, at 4 p.m. at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park in a doubleheader.  Following that, VSU heads on the road Mar. 14-15 at Union in Jackson, Tenn.