ALBANY, Ga. – The No. 2 Valdosta State softball team extended its winning streak to 15 games with a 9-0 victory at Albany State on Wednesday afternoon.  VSU plated six runs in the third and three in the fourth for the run-rule victory.  The Blazers hit two home runs in the game as they lead the nation with 65 home runs for the season.
 
The Blazers (26-3) began the second inning with a walk to freshman Katie Proctor, who made her second career start.  Following a fielder's choice out, junior Baylee Everson singled to center field for two on with one away.  VSU hit into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.
 
VSU sophomore hurler Samantha Richards fanned two batters in the first inning and struck out side in the second for five strikeouts through the first two innings. 
 
The Blazers tallied their third hit of the game with a one out single from freshman Morgan Hill in the top of the third.  She then stole second for senior, and older sister, Logan Hill.  L. Hill belted her eighth home run of the season for a 2-0 lead off ASU starter Sydney Pettus.  The round-tripper marked the 15^th-straight game VSU has gone yard at least once.  The Blazers entered the game with a national-best 63 home runs this season and averaged a national-best 2.25 home runs per game.  Following L. Hill's blast, sophomore Kiley Robb doubled to left, followed by Proctor, who reached on an error, plating Robb for a 3-0 lead.  Senior Lacey Crandall followed L. Hill's lead with her seventh home run of the season and a 5-0 lead.  Everson tallied her second hit of the game to extend the inning and freshman Taylor Lewis doubled to center for a 6-0 lead. 
 
Richards, the reigning Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week, continued her outstanding play, fanning the side for the second-straight inning in the third giving her eight strikeouts for the game to that point.
 
In the top of the fourth inning, reigning GSC Player of the Week, junior Nicole Pennington, singled to left field with one out, extending her current hitting streak to 12 games, as it matched her season-high from earlier in the year.  She also extended her reaching base streak to all 29 games this season and the last 31 dating back to 2020.  VSU loaded the bases with two out on ASU relief pitcher Kierra Washington.  Crandall then doubled home three runs for a 9-0 lead, giving her five RBI for the game.
 
ASU's (4-11) Destiny Herrera ended Richards' run of retiring the first 11 Golden Ram batters with two out in the bottom of the fourth on a single to center field.  Richards came back with her tenth strikeout of the game, tying her season-high for K's set twice earlier this season.  Today's game marked her fourth time in her career of double-digit strikeouts.  Richards had a career-high 14 strikeouts against Coker College on Mar. 3, 2020.
 
Richards struck out the side for the third time in the game in the fifth to end it.  She improved to 17-2 on the year, allowed one hit and fanned a season-high 13.  It was her fifth complete game shutout of the season as she has one combined shutout also. 
 
The win marked the Blazers' 14^th run-rule victory and ninth in five innings this season.  VSU run-ruled West Alabama in all three games last weekend. 
 
VSU tallied nine runs on ten hits with no errors, while ASU had no runs on one hit and one error.  Everson, Crandall and L. Hill each had two hits for the game as each were 2 for 3.  Crandall was 2 for 3 with five RBI, a double and a home run, while scoring one run.  L. Hill finished with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. 
 
The Blazers return home to host West Georgia this weekend for Senior Weekend and a three-game series, beginning Saturday at 2 p.m. at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park with a doubleheader.  The series will conclude with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more on the upcoming series.  The series will be broadcast on the radio on WDDQ FM Talk 92.1 and at talk921.com.