ROME, Ga. – Behind a season-high 12 runs and 13 hits, the No. 10 Valdosta State softball team completed the doubleheader sweep of Shorter with a 12-1 victory in five innings in the nightcap Saturday afternoon. VSU improved to 4-1 on the year and 2-0 in Gulf South Conference play, while Shorter fell to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in league play.
After winning its 1,200
th game in program history in the first game, VSU tallied its 500
th GSC victory with the win in the nightcap, improving to 500-209-1 all-time in league play. If the Blazers were to win tomorrow, head coach
Thomas Macera would achieve his 300
th GSC victory at VSU (299-101-1).
Freshman
Morgan Hill went 3 for 3 with three runs scored and three RBI, including a home run and a double, while sophomore
Kiley Robb went 3 for 4 with a run scored and a team-high four RBI. Freshman
Kayla Tosone went 3 for 3 with three runs scored. M. Hill improved to 2-0 on the year in the circle, going four innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run, while fanning four. Senior
Avery Lamb pitched the fifth inning, fanning all three batters.
M. Hill opened the game with a home run on an 0-2 count and later in the frame Robb singled home junior
Nicole Pennington for a 2-0 lead. VSU plated five runs in the second, highlighted by a two-run blast from Robb. M. Hill then doubled home two runs in the third for a 9-0 lead.
Shorter scored its lone run in the fourth and VSU added three more in the fifth as Pennington scored a run on a miscue by the Hawks, while Robb singled home a run and senior
Logan Hill reached on an error, plating a run.
For the doubleheader, VSU hit .400 with 20 hits, 23 runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and drove in 22. The team slugged .560 and reached base at a .538 clip with 14 walks and nine strikeouts. VSU was a perfect 12 of 12 in stolen bases and committed no errors in the two games. The lone run scored after a passed ball. VSU held Shorter to a .094 average on 3 of 32 from the dish, no extra bases and the one run. Shorter committed three errors leading to nine unearned runs.
M. Hill went 6 of 7 from the dish for the doubleheader, scoring five times with one double, one home run and four RBI. She was 1-1 in stolen bases with one walk. Robb and Tosone each had three hits, while L. Hill and Pennington each had two hits in the two games.
The teams will conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m. with a single game. VSU will then open the 2021 home slate at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park Feb. 27-28 versus Mississippi College.
