VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 4 Valdosta State softball team is set to travel to Carrollton, Ga., to take on the West Georgia Wolves on April 9-10 for a weekend Gulf South Conference series in the inaugural Red Clay Rivalry series. The series gets underway with a doubleheader beginning Saturday at 12 p.m., followed by a single game Sunday at 12 p.m.
The Blazers (24-5, 16-1 GSC) remained at No. 4 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 this week and currently lead the GSC standings. The Blazers are coming off a series sweep over Christian Brothers last weekend, taking game one 8-0 in five innings, game two 10-6, and taking the final game 10-6 in thrilling fashion. Sophomore Morgan Hill hit a walk-off, grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete the comeback as VSU trailed 6-0 through three innings.
VSU last faced the Wolves (11-21, 4-11 GSC) on April 18, 2021, and won 9-0 in five innings in the final game of a weekend series. VSU outscored the Wolves 25-0 over the series and hit 11 home runs. VSU redshirt senior Baylee Everson went a team-best 5 of 9 from the plate with three runs scored and three RBI while five different Blazers hit two home runs each in the series including, sophomore Aniston Gano, sophomore Morgan Hill and senior Nikki Pennington.
UWG has lost six straight overall and six straight GSC contests. UWG is 1-9 in its last ten games entering the series. R.J. Janke enters play as the GSC's leader in hitting with a .441 average. The sophomore also ranks second in the league in slugging (.868), fifth in on-base percentage (.487), and leads in OPS (1.355). Janke has hit seven home runs, tied for ninth in the GSC and her eight doubles are tied for 12th in that category.
Chandler Mevis also has eight doubles entering the weekend, and is second on UWG with a .370 average and tied for the team lead in hits with 34. Kristyn Nix enters the games with 15-game hitting streak, also has 34 hits on the year and leads the team in runs scored with 24.
UWG's pitching staff has combined for 127 strikeouts, 275 hits, 230 runs, and 184 earned runs through 193.1 innings of work for a 6.66 earned run average. Macy Ann McKnight has spent the most time in the circle for the Wolves and has recorded 56 strikeouts while holding her opponents to 120 hits, and 74 earned runs for a 5.38 ERA.
For the Blazers, Gano sits 39th nationally and tops the league with a .524 on-base percentage and has a team-high 31 hits through 78 at-bats along with 24 runs, nine home runs, 29 RBI, and a .397 batting average. Pennington has six home runs on the year along with 26 hits, 22 runs, 25 RBI, and a .321 batting average through 71 at-bats. Sophomore Katie Proctor has a .371 batting average along with four home runs, 23 hits, seven runs and 20 RBI through 62 at-bats. The Blazers have also outscored their opponents 204-70 this season.
In the circle, head coach Thomas Macera has utilized his entire pitching staff throughout the season. Junior Samantha Richards (19-2), this week's GSC Pitcher of the Week, clinched her 50th career win last Saturday against the Bucs. She has recorded 171 strikeouts, good for league-best in the GSC and seventh-best nationally. She has held her opponents to 40 runs, 89 hits, 27 earned runs and 32 walks for a 1.52 ERA through 124.2 innings pitched. Richards also leads the GSC in victories and has the lowest earned run average. Sophomore Mia DeAngelis (4-2) has fanned 30 batters and has given up 17 earned runs, 14 walks and has a 2.55 ERA through 46.2 innings. Hill (1-1) has 12 strikeouts on the year and has given up 18 earned runs, 20 hits, 13 walks and has a 7.41 ERA through 17 innings pitched.
Following the series with UWG, the Blazers will return home to host No. 9 Auburn Montgomery on April 15-16 for the final home conference series and Senior Day on April 16. For all updates on Blazer softball visit vstateblazers.com or follow Valdosta State Athletics on social media.
