VALDOSTA, Ga.  – The No. 19 Valdosta State softball team won two, hard-fought games to open a three-game series with Lee Saturday afternoon at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.  VSU won the opener 3-2 and then used a walk-off, two run blast from senior Logan Hill in the nightcap for a 5-3 win.  VSU ran its winning streak to eight games.
 
VSU improved to 16-4 overall and 7-1 in Gulf South Conference play and will go for the sweep of the Flames Sunday in the series finale at 1 p.m.  Fans can access links to live stats and video streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.  Lee fell to 12-8 overall and 3-5 in league play.
 
For the day, VSU hit .306 with 15 hits in 49 at bats, scoring eight runs with two doubles and two home runs, while driving in eight.  VSU, who leads the nation in home runs with 31 entering Saturday, now has 33 on the year in 20 games.  Sophomore Kiley Robb went 4 for 5 for the twin bill with two runs scored, a double and an RBI.  Hill went 3 for 7 with a run scored, one home run and two RBI.  VSU held Lee to a .146 clip from the dish, as the Flames had seven hits in 48 at bats scored five runs and drove in five.  VSU didn't allow an extra-base hit in the doubleheader.  
 
Blazer junior Shayne O'Connell continued her strong play as she pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing five hits, two earned runs, walked none and fanned 11.  Sophomore Samantha Richards won the nightcap in relief of freshman Morgan Hill.  Richards went 6.1 innings, allowing one hit, walked one and fanned eight.
 
#19 Valdosta State 3, Lee 2 (Game One)
Lee began the opener with a single from Kayla Louie to left and she moved to third, but on a nine-pitch at bat, VSU junior hurler Shayne O'Connell bested Abby McKinney as the Flames left a runner at third.  Louie's single was the first hit O'Connell had allowed in more than two games as she tossed no-hitters in each of her last two outings.
 
Freshman Taylor Macera drew a walk with one out in the bottom of the third and junior Bailey Wilson singled up the middle for the first hit of the game for the Blazers.  A walk to leadoff hitter junior Nicole Pennington loaded the bases.   Lee pitcher Lulu Vasquez came back with a big strikeout and got a ground out to shortstop as the Blazers left the bags full.
 
With two out in the bottom of the fourth, senior Haley Garrett hit a two run home run to left field for her first home run of the season and a 2-0 lead.  It was the Blazers' nation-leading 32^nd home run of the season.  
 
A one-out single from Madison Besaw in the fifth was the first hit of the game for Lee since Louie's hit to begin the game.  O'Connell came back and struck out the side for eight strikeouts in the game to that point. 
 
Lee put two on with nobody out in the top of the sixth on a pair of singles.  A sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position.  Maddie Davenport, who entered in the bottom of the fourth inning for an injury, hit a single up the middle plating two runs to tie the game as she was gunned down trying to take second base for the third out and a 2-2 score. 
 
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, senior Lacey Crandall doubled home a run to right field as VSU regained the lead, 3-2.  Sophomore Kiley Robb began the frame with a single for her second hit of the game and scored on Crandall's double.  
 
O'Connell improved to 6-2 on the year as she went seven innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and fanned 11 with no walks.  Vasquez (6-4) took the loss in six innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, walked three and fanned eight.  
 
VSU had three runs on six hits in the game as Robb was 2 for 3 with a run scored, while Garrett was 1 for 2 with a run scored and two RBI on the home run.  Davenport was 1 for 1 for Lee with two RBI, while Louie was 2 for 3 with a run scored.  
 
#19 Valdosta State 5, Lee 3 (Game Two)
Two walks and two stolen bases by Lee put runners at second and third with nobody out in the top of the first.  Freshman Morgan Hill then got the first out, but a single, stolen base and a fielder's choice plated two runs for Lee, chasing her from the game with the bases loaded and two out.  Sophomore Samantha Richards came in for Hill, but on a 1-2 count to Zoe Miller, she singled up the middle for an RBI and a 3-0 lead.  Richards fanned Kayla Gooch, the ninth batter of the inning as Morgan Hill finished her day pitching 0.2 innings, allowing one hit, three earned runs, walked three and fanned one.
 
A single from Robb and a sacrifice bunt from Crandall put Robb at second with one out in the bottom of the second.  Lee hurler Shonna Penney came back with a strikeout of Garrett for two out and fanned junior Joanna Muldoon for the third out, leaving a runner stranded in scoring position. 
 
VSU put two on with two out in the bottom of the third as it began to get hits off of Penney and senior Jordenne Gaten just missed a deep shot to right field for a long out ending the frame.  In the bottom of the fourth, Robb put a double off the fence to begin the frame.   Junior Baylee Everson singled down the left field line for an RBI and then sophomore Carly Joiner singled home the second run of the frame for a 3-2 deficit. 
 
Pennington began the bottom of the fifth with a walk and senior Logan Hill singled to left for two on and nobody out, chasing Penney from the game.  Vasquez came in for the Flames to pitch.   Gaten put down a good sacrifice bunt moving the runners to second and third with one away.  Robb tied the game at three with a sacrifice fly to center field.  
 
Richards retired her tenth-straight to end the top of the seventh in order, giving the Blazers the chance at a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh.  Pennington reached on an error with one out.  Following the miscue, L. Hill blasted her national-leading 11^th home run of the season for the walk-off and a 5-3 score. 
 
Richards (4-1) took the win in relief of Hill, while Vasquez was saddled with the loss, allowing one hit, two runs – one earned and fanned one in 2.1 innings of work.  Richards and M. Hill held Lee to just two hits in the game.  L. Hill finished the game 3 for 4 with one run scored, two RBI and the winner.  Robb was 2 for 2 in the game with one run scored and an RBI.