VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 19 Valdosta State softball team left 12 runners stranded as visiting Lee won the finale of a three-game series Sunday afternoon, 2-1.  The Blazers won two of three in the series and stand at 16-5 overall and 7-2 in Gulf South Conference play, while Lee is 13-8 and 4-5 in league play.
 
VSU had a chance in the bottom of the seventh of Flames' starter Shonna Penny as senior Jordenne Gaten laced a single to left for the tying run on base with one out.  Senior Lacey Crandall walked for two for the Blazers and senior Haley Garrett walked to load the bases for pinch-hitter junior Joanna Muldoon.  A fly out to right followed as Gaten tried to score on the potential sacrifice fly, but was gunned down at the plate to end the game with a double play.
 
VSU had its chances in the game, outhitting Lee 6-3, but just couldn't get the big hit when it needed it and had a runner on base in every inning.  Sophomore hurler Samantha Richards (4-2) took the loss in 5.1 innings.  She allowed two hits, two runs – one earned, walked three and fanned six.  Penney (6-1) went the distance for the Flames, allowing six hits, one unearned run, walked seven and fanned five.
 
Junior Baylee Everson went 2 for 2 to lead the Blazers and tallied a walk, while Crandall scored a run and walked twice.  Lee's Taylor De Adder had a solo home run for the Flames and Kayla Gooch's sacrifice fly scored the first run of the game.
 
The Blazers return to action Wednesday to close out the home stand versus Flagler in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park. 
 
An error and a walk put two on for the Blazers in the bottom of the second with nobody out. Everson singled over third base to load the bases still with nobody out.  VSU hit into two fielder's choice outs at home for two away.  Penney fanned senior Logan Hill for the third out as the Flames got out of the jam unscathed. 
 
The Blazers put two on with back-to-back singles from Everson and Bailey Wilson in the fourth.  Following a ground out to Penney, Hill came to bat with two away but grounded out to first as VSU left eight stranded through four innings. 
 
Lee's Maddie Davenport reached on a three-base error to begin the fifth.  Richards fanned her sixth of the game for the first out, but a sacrifice fly from Gooch plated the run for a 1-0 lead.  Richards then got a ground out to shortstop to end the inning. 
 
VSU put two on in the bottom of the fifth with two out, Crandall walked on four pitches followed by a single to right field from Garrett.  Crandall rounded second on Garrett's hit and went to third as she beat the throw from right field.  Garrett was half way between first and second and Lee's third baseman Sirena Salazar threw the ball into center field as Garrett advanced to third and Crandall scored the tying run. 
 
On a 2-1 count with one out in the top of the sixth, De Adder hit a solo home run to center field for a 2-1 lead for Lee as VSU went to the bullpen in favor of junior Shayne O'Connell.  A two out double from Bailey Church kept the inning alive for the Flames.  O'Connell got a deep fly out to center field for the final out of the frame.
 
A leadoff walk to Everson began the bottom of the sixth as VSU put a runner on in each inning of the game.   Penney came back with her fifth strikeout of the game and a fly out to left marked the second out of the inning.  Hill hit a deep ball to center field, but directly at Lily Hatcher for the third out.