VALDOSTA, Ga. – Trailing 4-0 after the top of the first inning, the Valdosta State baseball team plated three runs in the third, one in the fifth and tacked on three more in the sixth for a 7-5 victory over visiting Albany State Wednesday evening.
 
The Blazers improved to 5-2 on the year, while ASU fell to 1-2.  VSU had seven runs on six hits and two errors, while ASU tallied five runs on seven hits and one error.  ASU left 13 runners stranded in the game, while VSU left five on base. Blazer graduate student JP Gates earned Guardian Bank Blazer Player of the Game honors, going 2 for 3 with a run scored and three RBI, while he also pitched in the game. 
 
A one out walk and a double down the right field line from Lavoisier Fisher gave ASU a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Zane Ross, who drew the walk, was going on the pitch to Fisher and scored easily with the ball landing in the right field corner.  A hit batsmen and a double steal followed, along with a four pitch walk from graduate student starter Jeremy Adams to load the bases.  Austin Roberts laced a single through the right side for two runs and a 3-0 lead as VSU went to the bullpen in favor of junior JJ Finn.  Chase Karn put down a great bunt with runners at the corners, but at the last second the ball went foul.  Roberts then wandered off first base too far and was thrown out for the second out.   On a 1-2 count, Karn singled to center for a 4-0 lead.  The second hit batsmen of the inning followed as all nine batters came to the plate for the Golden Rams in the inning.  Finn fanned Pierce Thomas to end the inning.  Karn finished the game 3 for 5 with a run scored, a double, a home run and two RBI to lead the Golden Rams.
 
ASU hurler Calvin Baker had trouble finding the strike zone with just four strikes in the first 14 pitches, but he got a lineout to short and a fly out to center.  Blazer leadoff hitter junior David Crawford reached on a walk and moved to third on stolen base and advanced on the flyout.  A fielder's choice got the Rams out of the jam with just five strikes in 19 total pitches by Baker in the frame. 
 
Following an error by the Blazers to begin the top of the second, senior Zach Henderson replaced Finn on the mound.  Henderson fanned two and got a fly out to left to end the inning.  In the bottom of the second, junior Jacob Harper continued his strong start to the season with a double down the left field line to begin the frame.  After a strikeout, senior Bryson Gandy singled to right moving Harper to third.  Junior Preston Joye lined into a double play to end the inning.
 
Henderson retired the Golden Rams in order in the third and two walks to begin the bottom of the frame put the Blazers in business with nobody out.  Gates doubled off the center field wall for a 4-1 score as it was the first run the Blazers had scored since the fourth inning of Sunday's game versus Florida Tech and snapped a string of 18-straight runs allowed.  Baker got a strikeout for the first out, but sophomore Hunter Stowe plated graduate student Nick Gonzalez for a 4-2 score. Harper hit an infield single and plated the third run of the frame, as ASU went to the bullpen in favor of Tyler Bullock.  Bullock got a fly out to left to end the inning.
 
Following a walk to begin the top of the fifth, the Blazers went to the bullpen in favor of junior Zane Stephens.  With two out and a 1-2 count, Karn doubled down the left field line for runners at second and third.  Another walk loaded the bases, but Stephens got a pop up in the infield for the third out as ASU left the bags full.
 
Two hit batsmen began the bottom of the fifth for the Blazers.  A great sacrifice bunt from sophomore Trent Lewis moved the runners into scoring position.  Stowe hit an RBI ground out to third to tie the game at 4-4. 
 
Freshman Anthony Martens replaced Stephens on the bump to begin the top of the sixth.  The Golden Rams used a one out single and a fly out to right field from Fisher as he just missed it being a home run for the second out.  Nate Lloyd, on a 1-2 count, singled up the middle for runners at first and second.  Joye came up with an outstanding backhanded throw to Gonzalez at second from his rear to get the third out as it looked like ASU was going to score the go ahead run.  Earlier in the game, Gonzalez climbed the ladder at shortstop robbing ASU of a hit for two great plays defensively by the Blazer middle infield. 
 
With two out in the bottom of the sixth, Gonzalez singled to right center, plating senior Bryson Gandy for a 5-4 VSU lead.  Gates doubled home two runs for a 7-4 lead through six innings as he was called out at third after a wild throw home for the final out of the inning.
 
Karn hit a solo home run to left field with one out in the top of the seventh as it was first home run allowed by the Blazers this season for a 7-5 score.  Gates pitched the eighth for the Blazers and with two away, a failed pickoff attempt moved a runner to second for the Rams.  A walk put runners at first and second and a mound visit for the Blazers.  On the payoff pitch to Hill Corley, following a long foul ball down the right field line that was very close to being fair, Corley drew the walk to load the bases.  Junior Nick Ferrara replaced Gates on the mound.  Ferrara got two quick strikes to pinch-hitter Sean Russell and fanned him on an off-speed pitch as ASU left the bags full for the second time in the game.
 
Ferrara retired the Golden Rams in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.  Martens (2-0) earned the win in relief, going two innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.
 
The Blazers continue at home as they will host Mississippi College in the Gulf South Conference opening series, set for a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 18 beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a single game Sunday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m.  The game on Sunday has been moved from Friday due to the threat of inclement weather in Valdosta on Friday.