GULF SHORES, Ala. – After the first day of the Gulf Shores Invitational was washed out, the No. 7 Valdosta State softball team opened the 2022 season with a 7-3 victory over No. 4-ranked and defending national champion West Texas A&M Saturday morning.
The victory marked head coach
Thomas Macera's 700
th at VSU as he now is 700-202-2 (.775) in his 17
th season. His 700 victories at VSU are more than any other coach in VSU history. He became the 24
th coach in NCAA Division II softball to achieve 700 or more victories at a D2 institution. Last season, Macera won his 900
th career game on May 6, 2021, with a 3-1 victory over Lee in the Gulf South Conference postseason tournament. Macera now stands at 906-276-2 all-time coaching.
Against WT, the Blazers plated six runs in the first two innings combined and added a run in the fifth for a 7-0 lead, before the Lady Buffs responded with three runs in the top of the sixth. In her first collegiate start, Blazer sophomore hurler
Mia DeAngelis tossed a complete game, allowing seven hits, three runs – one earned, walked one and fanned three to earn her second career victory.
After DeAngelis sat down the Lady Buffs in the first, senior
Nikki Pennington drew a one out walk and then stole second before junior
Abby Sulte drew the second walk of the frame. From there, sophomore
Aniston Gano was hit by a pitch to lead the bases and graduate student
Ally Clegg came up with a two RBI double, followed by RBI ground out from sophomore
Taylor Macera for a 3-0 lead.
DeAngelis got out of a jam in the top of the second with two on and one out as VSU continued its offensive attack in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore
Taylor Lewis singled up the middle to begin the frame and then scored on a sophomore
Morgan Hill infield single for a 4-0 lead. A wild pitch plated the fifth run of the game and a sacrifice fly from Gano plated the sixth run.
The Lady Buffs, who were retired in order in both the third and fourth innings, loaded the bases with two out in the top of the fifth, but DeAngelis came back with a huge strikeout on Ruby Salzman, leaving the bags full. VSU stretched the lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth as Lewis came up big with a RBI double down the left field line, helped out by a miscue on WT.
WT would not go quietly, however, as an error on the Blazers with one out in the top of the sixth, followed by an infield single and a hit batsmen loaded the bases. Julie Guzman singled home a run, followed by a RBI walk and a sacrifice fly for a 7-3 score. DeAngelis retired the Lady Buffs in order in the seventh.
VSU finished with seven runs on six hits and one error, while WT tallied three runs on seven hits and one error. Lewis went 2 for 3 with a run scored, a double and one RBI, while Clegg was 1 for 3 with two RBI and a walk.
The Blazers continue in the tournament at 2:30 p.m. ET against Spring Hill College. Check vstateblazers.com for links to live stats for the game.
