CLEVELAND, Miss. – The No. 4 Valdosta State softball team extended its winning streak to ten games with a doubleheader sweep at Delta State Friday afternoon. The Blazers battled back from an early deficit in the opener for a 6-4 victory and then plated six runs in the top of the eighth for a 10-6 victory in the nightcap.
VSU improved to 21-3 on the year and 15-2 in Gulf South Conference play, while Delta State stands at 19-15 overall and 11-9 in the GSC heading into tomorrow afternoon's series finale.
For the twin bill, VSU hit .364 on 24 of 66 from the dish, while recording three doubles, three home runs, 16 runs scored and 15 RBI. Sophomore
Hunter Meadows went 4 of 6 from the dish with two runs scored, two doubles and four RBI. Junior
Nicole Pennington freshman
Morgan Hill and senior
Lacey Crandall each had home runs.
#4 Valdosta State 6, Delta State 4 (Game One)
VSU loaded the bases in the top of the first inning of the opener on Friday as NFCA National Player of the Week, Pennington, extended her streak of reaching base to 23 games this season and 25 dating back to last season, with a single to left. However, the Blazers were unable to score as DSU hurler Olivia Burns got out of the jam with a fly out to right. VSU produced two hits and an error by DSU in the frame.
DSU put runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the inning as an error on the Blazers allowed the first base runner, followed by a single from Kailyn Lofton on a 1-2 count. A fielder's choice bunt plated Raegan Stafford for a 1-0 lead. The second error of the inning by the Blazers loaded the bases. Jaclyn Deason hit a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. Hope Harbin singled down the right field line, plating the third run of the inning and a 3-0 lead. VSU sophomore hurler
Samantha Richards got out of the inning without further damage with her second strikeout of the frame. All three runs in the inning were unearned.
VSU had outscored the opposition 33-1 entering the game in the first inning for the season. The only run allowed by the Blazers in the first inning came in the second game of a doubleheader against Georgia Southwestern on Mar. 20, in a 6-5 VSU victory.
Meadows got the offense going with a double to left center, on a 1-2 count with two out, plating Everson for a 3-1 deficit in the top of the fourth. A passed ball moved Meadows to third, marking the third time in four innings VSU had a runner at third base. This time, the Blazers came through as M. Hill, on an 0-2 count, belted her tenth home run of the season for a 3-3 score. The home run gave VSU 46 for the season as it entered the game leading the nation in round-trippers.
In the fifth, senior
Logan Hill began the frame with a single to left center, followed by a single from sophomore
Kiley Robb. Two wild pitches by Burns plated the first run and, with two out, Crandall crushed a two run home run for a 6-3 lead for her third home run of the season, chasing Burns from the game.
Deason began the bottom of the sixth with a home run to right center and Harbin followed with a single to center as the Lady Statesmen trimmed the deficit to 6-4. Harbin then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Richards fanned pinch-hitter Mary Sweatt for the second out and Richards' fourth strikeout of the game. On a 1-2 count, fanned Summer Cryder to end the threat.
Robb began the seventh with a single to the pitcher and advanced to second on a throwing error. VSU put a player on base in each inning to that point. Freshman
Aniston Gano moved Robb to third with a sacrifice bunt. However, DSU reliever Jenny Griggers came back with a strikeout and a ground out to get out of the inning unscathed.
With the heart of the DSU order on tap for the seventh, Stafford singled to center to begin the inning, but Lofton hit into a double play for a huge two outs for the Blazers. It was just the third double play turned by the Blazers this season. Griggers singled to right field with two away. Richards got a ground out to third to end the game.
VSU finished with six runs on 11 hits with two errors, while leaving seven on base and Delta State finished with four runs on nine hits and two errors, also leaving seven stranded. Four different Blazers had two hits each as Crandall was 2 for 3 with two RBI and a run scored. Meadows was 2 for 2 with a run scored, one RBI and a double.
Richards improved to 14-2 on the year, going all seven innings, allowing nine hits, four runs – one earned, walked none and fanned five. She now has not walked a batter since Mar. 20 for a string of 29 innings. Burns (5-7) took the loss going 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits, six earned runs, walked one and fanned five.
Harbin finished the opener going 3 for 3 with an RBI, while Deason was 1 for 2 with two RBI and a run scored, including the home run. Griggers was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI, while she pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and struck out one.
#4 Valdosta State 10, Delta Staet 4 (8 Innings) (Game Two)
The Blazers jumped on the board in the first inning as Pennington singled through the left side with one out and a walk to L. Hill followed. Robb doubled home Pennington and Gano hit a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the defense came up big as Cryder singled to shortstop, followed by two strikeouts from M. Hill and then a fielding error moved Cryder to third. She then was gunned down at home trying to steal for the final out.
The Lady Statesmen had runners at second and third in the bottom of the second with two out, courtesy of a pair of singles. M. Hill fanned Katelyn Hayman for the third out as DSU left two stranded in scoring position.
In the top of the fourth, Gano began the inning with a single to right center and Everson followed with a bunt single. A sacrifice bunt from Crandall moved the runners to second and third, while Meadows hit an infield single to load the bases. DSU got out of the jam with a double play to end the threat.
Pennington belted a one out home run to left center, her 12
th of the season, as she leads the nation in home runs for a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, VSU began the frame with a single from Gano, followed by a single from Everson and Crandall hit a great sacrifice bunt for runners at second and third. From there, Meadows reached on an RBI fielder's choice for a 4-0 lead.
With a 4-0 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh, Deason reached on the third miscue of the game for the Blazers and back-to-back singles loaded the bases with nobody out. M. Hill got the first out via strikeout, but Cryder singled home a run for a 4-1 score and M. Hill got the second out also by strikeout. Lofton singled to center for a 4-2 score and Griggers singled home two runs to tie the game at 4-4. Senior
Avery Lamb replaced M. Hill and got a fly out to right to end the inning.
In the eighth, the Blazers exploded for six runs in the inning all following Griggers retiring the first batter of the inning. Everson reached on a miscue and Meadows doubled home two runs for a 6-4 score. Freshman pinch-hitter
Katie Proctor came up with a single to center for a 7-4 score and a bases loaded walk to Robb made the lead 8-4. Gano then singled to right center for two RBI and a 10-4 score. Lamb retired the Lady Statesmen in order in the bottom of the inning for the win.
Lamb improved to 3-0 in 1.1 innings of work, fanning two. M. Hill went 6.2 innings, allowing ten hits, four unearned runs and fanned six, while walking none. Griggers (0-1) took the loss in 7.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, eight runs – six earned, walked two and fanned one.
Gano and Everson each had three hits for the Blazers as Gano was 3 for 4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Everson was 3 for 5 with a run scored. Meadows was 2 for 4 with a run scored, three RBI and a double, while Pennington was 2 for 4 with three runs scored, a home run and one RBI.
The Blazers and Lady Statesmen are set to complete the series Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.
