VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 2 Valdosta State softball team is set to open the 2022 home campaign against No. 25 Alabama Huntsville for the first Gulf South Conference series of the season.
The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 19, beginning at 2 p.m., then will conclude the series on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m., at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.
VSU enters the weekend with a 6-2 record, with its only two losses against No. 17 Tampa at the Embry-Riddle Invitational. UAH enters the games with an 8-1 record, with its only loss of the season to Nova Southeastern at the Gulf Shores Invitational.
Prior to the season, VSU was picked second in the Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches Poll behind Auburn Montgomery, while UAH was picked third in the poll.
The Blazers last faced the Chargers on May 20, 2021, to open the 2021 NCAA South Regional, winning 8-0 in six innings. Prior to the South Regional, UAH had won the previous four meetings and seven of last ten. UAH leads the all-time series in Valdosta, 26-25. This marks the first regular season series in Valdosta since 2018, when UAH won all-three meetings (Mar. 10-11). The first meeting in the series came on Mar. 16-17, 1996, with the teams split a four-game set.
Junior hurler Samantha Richards currently has 36 strikeouts on the year, a 1.11 earned run average and a 3-1 record on the year through 25 innings and 95 at bats. She has also held her opponents to six runs. Sophomore utility/pitcher Morgan Hill has pitched eight innings, recording two strikeouts, while sophomore Mia DeAngelis has pitched 19.1 innings, fanning 13 batters, having 17 hits and five runs through 73 at bats. The Blazers boast an 0.80 ERA in 52.2 innings, allowing 38 hits, 11 runs – six earned, walked 16 and fanned 51 as teams are hitting just .193 against them.
Senior infielder Nikki Pennington leads the Blazers' offense, recording eight RBI in eight games and also has three homers on the year. Sophomore Aniston. Gano is second on the team in average at a .333 clip on 7 of 21 from the dish with three runs scored, one triple and five RBI. Sophomore infielder Katie Procter has a team-high .571 on base percentage, going three of six in the Blazers' last eight games. VSU has also outscored its opponents 45-11 and 39 RBI.
As a team, the Blazers are hitting .268 for the season with 56 hits, 45 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 39 RBI. The team is slugging .435 and reaching base at a .360 clip, while it is 18 of 20 on the base paths.
UAH enters the series hitting .354 for the season in nine games with 90 hits, 58 runs scored, 19 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 51 RBI. The Chargers are slugging at a .496 clip and reaching base at a .392 average, while they are 27 of 29 on the base paths. Kaylee Vaught leads the team in average at .515 clip on 17 of 33 from the plate. She has three doubles, two triples and 11 RBI, while Shelby Booker is second in average at a .452 clip with 14 hits, seven runs scored and two RBI.
In the circle, Megan Shurtz is 3-0 with an 0.81 ERA in 17.1 innings, allowing nine hits, two earned runs, walked three and fanned 17. Layton Murphy has 3.50 ERA and a 2-1 record in four starts for 16 innings. The staff has a 2.85 ERA in 59 innings, allowing 47 hits, 27 runs – 24 earned, walked 38 and fanned 19 as teams are hitting .219 against it.
For Live Stats, live streaming and all updates on Blazer softball, visit vstateblazers.com.
