VALDOSTA, Ga. – Behind 18 hits on the evening, the No. 3 Valdosta State softball team picked up two wins over Montevallo on day one of the weekend series. The Blazers took game one 9-2, then defeated the Falcons in game two, 3-1.
VSU improved to 15-4 on the year and 7-0 in Gulf South Conference play while Montevallo fell to 7-9 on the year and 1-2 in the GSC.
The Blazers got on the board first in game one as graduate Ally Clegg hit an RBI single to left field scoring sophomore Taylor Macera, who had reached first on a fielder's choice. After Clegg's single, sophomore Aniston Gano singled to center field and scored redshirt senior Baylee Everson, to give the Blazers an early 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning, VSU tacked on two more runs from junior Abby Sulte and Macera's solo home runs in the inning to push the Blazer lead to 4-0.
Montevallo responded in the top of the fourth inning as the Falcons hit a two-run home run off junior pitcher Samantha Richards to cut VSU's lead to 4-2.
The Blazer offense exploded in the bottom of the fourth inning, as the team tacked on four runs to give VSU an 8-2 advantage. The Blazers loaded the bases with Clegg and Gano hitting singles and senior Nikki Pennington walked. Sulte then singled to center field allowing Gano and Clegg to cross home plate. Junior Taylor Lewis then hit another single into left field to score Sulte and Pennington to end the scoring campaign in the fourth.
Sulte put an exclamation on game one as she hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to bring the final score to 9-2.
Richards (10-1) pitched the entire game for the Blazers and recorded 14 strikeouts and gave up two earned runs, one walk and three hits in 25 at-bats.
Game two began differently as the Falcons jumped in the board first in the top of the second inning as the team hit a pair of singles into the outfield to bring the score to 1-0. After a pitching change by head coach Thomas Macera, the Blazers were able to get out of the jam with three hits and one run with the bases loaded.
VSU responded in the bottom of the fourth inning as Sulte scored from heads-up base running and an error from the Falcons' defense to tie the game, 1-1.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Blazers took a 3-1 lead after junior Hunter Meadows hit a double into left field and sophomore Morgan Hill laid down a bunt to score Meadows. Pennington then hit a single to the shortstop, allowing Hill to score.
The Blazers finished in the top of the seventh inning as Richards struck out three of the last four Falcon batters to give VSU the win, 3-1.
VSU utilized its entire pitching staff in game two and combined for 12 strikeouts and gave up one walk, seven hits and one earned run through 28 at-bats.
The Blazers are set to round out the GSC series with Montevallo on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.
