GULF SHORES, Ala. – Coming off a pair of Blazing victories over No. 4 West Texas and Spring Hill College Saturday, the No. 7 Valdosta State softball team picked up another pair of wins to round out the Gulf Shores Invitational on Sunday. VSU scored early and often in a 7-0 shutout of Drury University (Mo.), and then posted an important 3-1 victory over No. 5 North Georgia in a battle of top five teams, to go 4-0 for the weekend.
#7 VALDOSTA STATE 7, DRURY 0 (GAME ONE)
The Blazers wasted little time getting on the board against Drury (1-2), as sophomore
Morgan Hill drew a leadoff walk and Pennington singled to center. Graduate student
Ally Clegg hit an RBI single into left field in the top of the first, plating Hill for a 1-0 lead.
The Blazers tacked on two more runs in the top of the third inning from an RBI double courtesy of junior
Abby Sulte to bring Pennington home and then an RBI single from sophomore
Aniston Gano plated Sulte for a 3-0 lead.
Sophomore pitcher
Mia DeAngelis (2-0), in her second career start, pitched six innings for the Blazers and had seven strikeouts, allowed six hits and one walk in 25 batters faced.
The Blazers' bats continued to stay hot deep into the game, tacking on a run in the top of the fourth inning, and three more in the top of the fifth.
After Clegg doubled to right field in the fifth, Gano laid down a bunt to bring Clegg around to third. Sophomore
Taylor Macera doubled to left field and scoring two runs and senior
Baylee Everson singled up the center to score Macera for the 7-0 advantage.
The Panthers tried to build momentum in the bottom of the sixth inning with a single and a walk, with no outs, but DeAngelis came from behind and had a pair of strikeouts and a pop fly to end the order.
Hill came into the game in the seventh inning as a relief pitcher and had one walk, and a line out, but the Blazers' defense stood strong to protect the clean sheet, fielding a critical double play.
VSU tallied seen runs on ten hits with one error, while the Panthers had six hits and one error. It was the second-straight shutout for the Blazers as VSU defeated Spring Hill Saturday 11-0.
Offensively, Pennington was 2 for 3 with a double, a run scored and one RBI, while Clegg was 2 for 3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Gano finished 2 for 4 with a RBI, while Macera was 1 for 4 with a run scored, two RBI and a double. VSU ran wild on the base paths with five stolen bases in the game.
VSU went a perfect 5 for 5 in stolen bases in the game.
#7 VALDOSTA STATE 3, #5 NORTH GEORGIA 1 (GAME TWO)
The Blazers, once again, scored early in the second game of the day against North Georgia as Pennington began the scoring with a single to center field and she advanced to second on a passed ball. Gano singled to right, plating two runs for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
The Nighthawks (2-2) and Blazers exchanged scoreless innings until the fifth inning when Pennington hit a solo homerun to center field for a 3-0 lead. It was her 32nd homer of her career, and second of the season.
The Nighthawks' comeback attempt in the sixth began with an error. From there, a double to left field plated UNG's lone run of the game. The Blazers' defense bounced back as junior pitcher
Samantha Richards struck a better out swinging and induced a pop fly to get out of the jam.
Richards (2-0), who tossed a no-hitter against Spring Hill Saturday, went all seven innings, allowing four hits, one unearned run, walked one and fanned six. She pitched 12 innings for the weekend, scattering four hits, one unearned run, walked four and fanned 18 as she improved to 2-0 on the year.
Pennington went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, a home run and one RBI for the second game as she was 4 for 6 for the day with a double, a home run, three runs scored and two RBI on Sunday. Gano finished the day 3 for 7 with three RBI.
The Blazers continue on the road next weekend at the Eagle Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla., where they will face Embry-Riddle and Tampa two times each. VSU then will open the 2022 home slate on Feb. 19-20 against rival Alabama Huntsville at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park for a three-game series to open Gulf South Conference play.
