Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The No. 19 Valdosta State baseball team dropped both games during its Friday doubleheader against Lee by scores of 6-4 and 10-7.
 
The Blazers (3-2, 3-2 Gulf South Conference) were able to get on the board first during the two matchups with strong pitching coming from Tristan Cone during the first game. Cone saw 4.1 innings, only allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out six batters. The Blazers saw offensive support from David Maberry who batted in four Blazers off of three hits, sending one out-of-the-park. Overall, the Blazers racked in 18 hits with only one error while giving up 22 hits in total.
 
VSU is set to face Lee again tomorrow, Feb. 13, to wrap up its weekend series in Tennessee with first pitch set for noon.
 
LEE 6, #19 VALDOSTA STATE 4
 
After the Blazers went down in order in the top of the first, the pitching came up big in the bottom of the frame. With the bases loaded and only one out, Cone was able to dial-in and strike out the next two batters to get the Blazers out of the inning. Cone carried over what he'd done in the first well into the second, striking out the next three batters faced on just 12 pitches.
 
The Blazers were able to get on the board first during the third as Chase Coker singled to the shortstop, sending Ben Rowdon home after his double which got him on base. The Flames were able to get out of the inning, leaving Coker in scoring position, striking out Nick Lewis and Maberry.
 
The dominant defense continued for the Blazers, going three up and three down in the third and allowing just one runner on base during the fourth. The Flames broke through, however, scoring its first run off a single that squeaked through the left side. After giving up a run, Cone was replaced, pitching 4.1 innings and only allowing two hits while striking out six.
 
Lee opened the floodgates at the bottom of the seventh, racking in seven hits which was good for five runs which forced the Blazers to play from behind for the first time this season. The Blazers answered the following inning with a Maberry bomb to right field to put the Blazer deficit to just two before the Flames were able to retire the next two batters.
 
Rowdon showed a last glance of hope with his double to put two runners in scoring position with two outs, but the Flames squashed any sort of comeback as they put the game away with the next batter handing the Blazers its first loss of the season 6-4.
 
LEE 10, #19 VALDOSTA STATE 7
 
The Blazers replicated its actions from game one and were able to get the first run on the board during the top of the second as Ralph Morla Jr. drew a walk brining in Maberry. Two batters before, Jowenrick Daantji smacked a long single in the right field gap to jack the bases and set up for the eventual run.
 
Just as the Blazers got on top, the Flames took control during the third where they brought in three runners off of three hits, making the Blazers play from behind once again. The Blazers answered with a run of its own to make it a one score game, but the Flames came right back, sending four runners across the plate during the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Blazers were able to ease the score after Rowdon sent one home off a double to center, but the Flames didn't let up, putting a ball beyond the outfield fence for a two-run home run right after a sacrifice fly to put the score at 10-3. The Blazers eased the burn slightly where Daantji drove in a run, placing E.J. Doskow at third to set up Jisjar Clotida to knock him in to make it 10-5 after eight.
 
With just three outs to cut the five-run deficit, the Blazers put itself in position to do so. Maberry single up the middle which sent Coker home and Doskow was able to knock in Nick Lewis during the next at-bat. Now with the tying run on the plate, the Blazers tried to rally back to split the Friday doubleheader, but Lee was able to put the game to bed and defeat the Blazers 10-7.