DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The No. 7 Valdosta State softball team again split a pair of games in the final day of the Embry-Riddle Invitational, falling 3-2 against Tampa, then bouncing back and defeating the hosts ERAU, 5-0. The Blazers moved to 6-2 on the season after the weekend's games.
Junior pitcher Samantha Richards and the Blazer defense held the Spartans scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning in game one, where Richards gave up a single and a triple, driving in two runs for Tampa.
Valdosta State battled back to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the seventh from senior Nikki Pennington's single to left field and graduate Ally Clegg blasting one over the fence to bring home Pennington.
The Spartans would walk off the game in the bottom of the seventh as Richards couldn't get out of a bases-loaded jam, walking the final batter, 3-2.
Richards' record fell to 3-1 on the year but recorded six strikeouts, three walks, eight hits and three runs.
In game two, the Blazers were held scoreless against ERAU until the top of the sixth inning when sophomore Aniston Gano tripled to right field. Sophomore Kayla Tosone came in to pinch run for Gano, and Taylor Lewis reached first on a fielders choice, scoring Tosone. Sophomore Katie Proctor, who pinch hit for Baylee Everson, homered over the left field fence to score Bobbi Poff, who pinch ran for Lewis, to give the Blazers a 3-0 lead.
VSU tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning from key base running from Clegg and errors from ERAU's defense to bring the final score of game to to 5-0.
Sophomore Morgan Hill pitched all seven innings for VSU and recorded two strikeouts, one walk and five hits. She clinched her first win of the season in the circle, moving to 1-0 on the year.
VSU now has six home runs on the year in addition to 56 hits and 45 runs while holding its opponents to only 11 runs.
Blazer softball is back in action next weekend for the 2022 home opening series against Alabama Huntsville on Feb. 19 and 20 at the VSU Softball Complex.
