VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 10 Valdosta State softball team posted a doubleheader sweep of visiting Columbus State Wednesday afternoon in the regular season home finale. The Blazers posted a 3-0 shutout in the opener, followed by an 8-2 victory in the nightcap.
For the twin bill, VSU scored 11 runs on 13 hits with one double and seven RBI, while CSU was 7 of 50 from the dish for a .140 average with two runs scored, one home run and two RBI. VSU fanned 15 Cougars batters with 12 strikeouts from junior Samantha Richards in ten innings of work. Junior Hunter Meadows and sophomore Taylor Macera each had three hits on the day and scored two runs each.
The Blazers (31-9) close out the regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader at Young Harris College beginning at 11 a.m.
#10 Valdosta State 3, Columbus State 0 (Game One)
A bloop-single to left and a hit batter put two on for the Cougars in the top of the second with two away. On a 3-2 count, VSU junior hurler Samantha Richards came up with her third strikeout of the game to get out of the jam. VSU got a two out single in the bottom of the second, but CSU hurler Hannah Rose Corbin also came up with a strikeout to end the threat.
Corbin bested sophomore Kayla Tosone on a 13-pitch at bat to begin the bottom of the third as it was Corbin's fourth strikeout of the game. Corbin then fanned senior Nikki Pennington for the second out and graduate student Ally Clegg hit a blast right field, but it hung up just enough for the final out of the frame.
The Blazers began the bottom of the fourth with a walk to sophomore Aniston Gano. Pinch-runner Bobbi Poff stole second and sophomore Katie Proctor drew a walk for two on. Junior Taylor Lewis put down a sacrifice bunt, moving the runners to second and third with one out. A fly out to center followed, but an error in center field by the Cougars plated two runs for the Blazers and a 2-0 lead.
The Cougars began the top of the fifth with a single from Caitlyn Canady and she moved to second on a passed ball. Corbin drew her second walk of the game for two on with one out. Richards got a fly out to center and a ground out to second to end the threat.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Pennington hit a single up the middle for the second hit of the game for the Blazers. Pennington then stole second for her fourth steal of the season. Corbin got a strikeout and a lineout to left to prevent further damage.
VSU began the bottom of the sixth with a walk to Proctor and freshman Alaina Jones pinch ran for her and stole second. Corbin came back with her eighth strikeout of the game on a 3-2 count to junior Taylor Lewis for one out. A ground out to the pitcher followed moving Jones to third for sophomore Taylor Macera, who took the first pitch back up the middle, plating Jones for a 3-0 lead. Macera was at the plate in the fourth when the two run error happened for the Cougars in center field. Macera has two of the Blazers' three hits in the game. Two errors on the Cougars followed to load the bases. A line out to left field ended the threat.
VSU retired the Cougars in order in the seventh for the shutout. Richards improved to 22-6 on the year, allowing four hits, walked two and fanned nine for her sixth shutout of the season. Corbin (16-9) took the loss, allowing three hits, three runs – one earned, walked four and fanned eight.
Offensively, Macera was 2 for 3 with one RBI (two others scored on the error in center and don't count as RBI), while Pennington was 1 for 3 with a walk. Poff, Martin and Jones each scored runs for the Blazers. Four different Cougars had hits in the opener.
#10 Valdosta State 8, Columbus State 2 (Game Two)
Following an error on the Blazers to begin the game, Corbin, who was the designated player in the nightcap, took freshman Madison Lumpp deep to right field for a two run home run in the top of the first for her tenth round-tripper of the season. It was Lumpp's first collegiate start after she earned the win last weekend at then-No. 20 West Florida in relief in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Lumpp got a pair of ground outs to get out of the inning without further damage. VSU put two on in the bottom of the first with two away. Junior Taylor Lewis hit a single to third and an error plated two runs for a 2-2 score.
A single and a walk put two on for the Cougars with nobody out in the top of the second as VSU went to the bullpen in favor of sophomore Mia DeAngelis to replace Lumpp. DeAngelis fanned her first batter for one out. A great running catch from redshirt senior Baylee Everson recorded the second out. Clegg snow-coned a line drive at third from Corbin for the third out as VSU got out of the jam unscathed as two runs probably would've scored.
An error and a bunt single began the bottom of the second for the Blazers. Tosone had a nice sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third for the top of the order. Pennington hit a sacrifice fly to center, plating Macera for a 3-2 lead. Clegg hit a single to left on a crazy hop past the shortstop for an RBI and a 4-2 lead.
Proctor drew a leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the third and pinch-runner Jones moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Lewis. An error and infield fly followed for two out, but junior Hunter Meadows drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. CSU induced a fly out to left as VSU left them loaded.
VSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with one out. Lewis scored one RBI on a ground out for a 5-2 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, an infield single from Macera and bunt singles from junior Hunter Meadows and Tosone loaded the bases with nobody out. A dropped ball plated the first run of the inning and then a two RBI ground-rule double from Gano made the score 8-2.
DeAngelis (6-2) picked up the win in relief of Lumpp, going three innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Richards earned the save for her second of the season, going three innings and striking out three. Offensively, VSU had ten hits in the game as Gano was 2 for 4 with two RBI.
