VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 5 Valdosta State softball team responded nicely with a 13-2, five inning victory Sunday over visiting Union to take the three-game series, 2-1.  VSU continues its ten-game homestand with Albany State for a doubleheader Wednesday at 4 p.m., and a twin bill with Georgia Southwestern Saturday at 1 p.m. 
 
Following a disappointing nightcap Saturday, after an 8-0, run-rule victory in the opener, a costly error by the Blazers allowed Union to tie the game in the seventh and the Bulldogs scored two runs in the eighth for the victory. 
 
Putting that game behind them, the Blazers (12-3, 10-2 GSC) came out and scored in each of the first four innings Sunday as the team recorded ten hits with two doubles and two home runs.  Sophomore Kiley Robb went 1 for 2 with two runs scored and four RBI on her second grand slam of the weekend series.  Senior Logan Hill blasted her second home run of the season, going 1 for 4 with one run scored and two RBI.  Robb was named the Guardian Bank Blazer Player of the Game. 
 
Sophomore Samantha Richards improved to 8-2 on the year in four innings in the circle.  She allowed three hits, two runs – one earned, walked one and fanned five.  Senior Avery Lamb pitched the final inning, allowing one hit and fanned one. 
 
For the series, Robb went 4 for 10 with four runs scored, three home runs and ten RBI, while she slugged 1.300.  Freshman Aniston Gano went 5 for 7 in three starts, scoring three times, while recording the first triple of the season for the Blazers and one home run, while driving in two.  VSU hit .329 for the series with 23 hits, including three doubles, one triple and five home runs, while scoring 24 runs and slugged .614.  Richards went 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA in nine innings, allowing six hits, two run – one earned, walked one and fanned 15 as the Bulldogs hit just .188 against her.
 
In the finale Sunday, the bottom of the first began with a walk to freshman Morgan Hill and junior Nicole Pennington drove her in with an RBI double.  From there, L. Hill tallied her second round-tripper of the season for a 3-0 lead with nobody out. 
 
In the bottom of the second, junior Baylee Everson reached on an error to begin the inning, followed by a walk, a hit batsmen for the bases loaded with two away.  Robb belted her second grand slam of the series and her third home run for a 7- 0 lead.  Robb now leads the team with six home runs this season.  It was the third grand slam of the season for the Blazers as L. Hill belted one last weekend at Montevallo.  VSU added a run in the third for an 8-0 lead on a single up the middle from sophomore Hunter Meadows. 
 
Richards was cruising heading into the fourth inning as she retired nine-straight after a leadoff single in the first.  Harley Bartholomew began the fourth with a walk, followed by a fly out to left.  Sarah Smith hit an RBI double to the gap and scored on an error by the Blazers for a 8-2 score.  Richards fanned five through the first four innings.
 
With two out in the bottom of the fourth, sophomore pinch-hitter Taylor Lewis doubled home two runs for a 10-2 score after Union quickly retired the first two batters.  Union starter Taylor Manley walked two followed by the two RBI double and then senior Lacey Crandall singled home a run for an 11-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth.  An error and infield single loaded the bases for freshman Katie Proctor in her first at bat as a Blazer.  Proctor delivered with a comebacker up the middle for two runs and a 13-2 lead, chasing Manley from the game.
 
Senior Avery Lamb came in to pitch the top of the fifth, allowing one hit and fanned one to close the game.
 
The Bulldogs (3-17, 2-10 GSC) were led by two hits from senior Alyssa Ward, while Smith belted a double and scored on an errant throw by the Blazers.  Manley (0-7) took the loss, going 3.2 innings, allowing ten hits, 13 runs – seven earned, walked seven and fanned none.  Beasley pitched the rest of the match, going 0.1 innings and fanned one.