OXFORD, Ala. – The No. 10-ranked Valdosta State softball team fell 5-2 in its Gulf South Conference Championship opener to West Alabama Wednesday afternoon.
With the loss, VSU (33-10) will play in an elimination game Thursday at 11 a.m. ET versus No. 3-seed West Florida. Fans can access links to live stats and streaming on FloSports and audio broadcast of the game on 92.1 WDDQ FM with Matt Malone having the call, on the softball schedule page at vstateblazers.com.
The Tigers (27-23) and the No. 7-seed in the tournament, opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as a hit batter on leadoff hitter Cassie Matlock proved costly, as she came around to score on a two out RBI single from Nicole Buccieri for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, Blazer sophomore Morgan Hill began the frame with an infield single. Hill then stole second for her 20th theft of the season and moved to third with two away. UWA hurler Hannah Mynard got out of the jam with a strikeout as the Blazers stranded Hill at third.
UWA began the top of the second with a leadoff triple off the wall to left center and a walk put runners at the corners with nobody out. Richards fanned Lexy House for the first out of the frame and Richards' third K of the game. She then fanned her fourth of the game as Matlock came to the plate for the second time in the game. She doubled to left field on an 0-1 count for a 3-0 lead, plating two runs and advanced to third on an error.
A leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt put freshman Bobbi Poff at second with one away in the bottom of the second. Poff pinch-ran for sophomore Katie Proctor, who drew a leadoff walk. Redshirt senior Baylee Everson drew a walk for two on with two out. Mynard was, once again, able to get out of the jam with a fielder's choice for the third out as VSU left runners in scoring position for the second-straight inning.
Both teams went down in order in the third, but the second error of the game on VSU on a strikeout allowed Taylor Clegg to reach first base to begin the top of the fourth. Clegg then stole second and a sacrifice bunt moved her to third with one away. An infield single from House plated T. Clegg for a 4-0 lead. Richards fanned Matlock for the third out and her sixth of the game to get out of the frame.
After a long weather delay, the game resumed at 5:45 p.m. ET in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Blazers were looking at an uphill battle trailing 4-0. Proctor drew her second free pass of the game with one away for the third inning VSU had a baserunner, but Mynard got out of it unscathed as VSU left four stranded through four innings to that point.
With two out in the bottom of the fifth and one on, senior Nikki Pennington blasted her 13th home run of the season for a 4-2 deficit as she tied graduate student Ally Clegg for the most on the team. It was Pennington's 43rd career dinger of her VSU career as she now is tied for fourth all-time in school history with Kiley Rusen (2013-16).
The fourth miscue of the game on the Blazers and a stolen base put a runner in position for the Tigers with one out in the top of the sixth. Richards, the two-time GSC Pitcher of the Year, fanned House for her eighth strikeout of the game sending the game to the bottom of the sixth.
A pair of singles put runners at the corners with one out for the Tigers in the top of the seventh. A sacrifice bunt from Kacy Noland plated a run for a 5-2 lead for UWA. Richards fanned Buccieri for her tenth strikeout of the game, giving her 573 for her career and just one shy of tying Caitlyn Calhoun (2013-16) for second all-time in school history heading to VSU's final at bat of the game.
A single to second base to begin the frame for VSU. With two out and the top of order, sophomore Morgan Hill walked for runners at the corners and the tying run at the plate in Pennington. On a 2-2 count, Mynard struck out Pennington for the final out.
Errors proved costly for the Blazers as they had four miscues for the game leading to two unearned runs. VSU scored two runs on Pennington's blast and had three hits in the game, while UWA finished with five runs on six hits and no errors.
Mynard (14-6) earned the victory, going seven innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, walked five and fanned five in 112 pitches. Richards (24-7) took the loss, going seven innings, allowing six hits, five runs – three earned, walked one and fanned ten.
Offensively, Pennington went 1 for 4 with one run scored, two RBI and the home run. Hill went 1 for 2 with a run scored. Matlock was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, a double and two RBI for the Tigers, while T. Clegg was 1 for 3 with two runs scored and a triple.
