VALDOSTA, Ga.- The No. 8 Valdosta State softball team swept Embry-Riddle in a doubleheader Thursday evening. The Blazers defeated the Eagles in the opener, 7-2, and rallied in the second game for a 11-2 victory. With the pair of wins, the Blazers improved to 9-2 overall while Embry-Riddle fell to 6-5 overall.
The Blazers belted nine home runs in the two games combined with three different players having two home runs apiece. VSU hit a blistering .431 for the twin bill with 22 hits, 18 runs scored, three doubles and the nine dingers, while driving in 17 for a blistering 1.020 slugging percentage.
Game #1: #8 Valdosta State 7, Embry-Riddle 2
The Blazers got off to a hot start in the first behind a lead-off home run by junior Morgan Hill to put VSU up 1-0 early in the top of the first. Junior Taylor Macera then hit her third homer of the season in the bottom of the second to put the Blazers up 2-0 followed by Hill stealing home in the bottom of the third for her seventh stolen base of the season, putting VSU up 3-0.
The Eagles answered back with a "bloop and blast" of their own in the top of the fourth to get on the board and cut the Valdosta State lead to one, 3-2. Cut to the bottom of the fifth as freshman Saylor McNearney hit her second home run shot to give the Blazers a two-run cushion, 4-2.
The Blazers were not quite done scoring yet as VSU tacked on a few more in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Abby Sulte singled to center field to begin the inning as junior Kayla Tosone was put on base to pinch run for Sulte. Senior Taylor Lewis then hit a single to right field as Tosone raced around the bases to score, giving VSU a 5-2 edge. Junior Kinzie Nelson then crushed a two-run bomb to left field to put VSU up 7-2. The Blazer defense then achieved a three up, three down inning in the top of the seventh to come out victorious, 7-2 in game one.
Senior Samantha Richards was on the mound for the Blazers and recorded her sixth complete game, improving to 6-1 on the season. She fanned nine, walked none and allowed four hits. Nelson was one of two at the plate for one two-run home run and two RBI to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
Game #2: #8 Valdosta State 11, Embry-Riddle 2 (6 Innings)
The Eagles kicked off the second game by striking first behind a couple of base hits to go up 1-0 in the top of the first. In the bottom of the second, Macera hit her second home run blast of the afternoon to tie the game at 1-1. However, Embry-Riddle answered right back with a run of its own in the top of the third to go up 2-1 behind a two-bagger and a single.
Valdosta State came right back out in the bottom of the third and added two immediately after freshman Lexi Patterson hit a double deep to left field and Hill smacked a double of her own to tie the game once again, 2-2. This set up Sulte's first homer of the game, scoring two and putting the Blazers up 4-2. Junior Katie Proctor then immediately hit a home run of her own to give VSU back-to-back jacks and go up 5-2. Nelson then went yard behind a Blazer hit for her second homer of the day to give VSU a 7-2 cushion.
The Blazers tacked on another in the bottom of the fourth behind a pair of base hits by Patterson and freshman Jayme Prandine to add to the VSU lead, 8-2. VSU added another behind a fielder's choice and a two-bagger from McNearney to set up a ground out to score another run, 9-2. Valdosta State capped off the game with a two-run walk off shot, courtesy of Sulte in the bottom of the sixth to put the Blazers up nine, 11-2. The nine-run lead put the run rule in place to give VSU the 11-2 victory.
Richards came in the game in the third and finished for the Blazers. She recorded four strikeouts, no walks and no hits in her 3.2 innings pitched to improve to 7-1 on the season. Sulte was two of three at the plate, with both hits being home runs to tally four RBI and earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
The Blazers will return to action on the road this weekend as they travel to Delta State in a three-game Gulf South Conference series. The first two games will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25 as part of a doubleheader and will begin at 3 p.m. ET. The final game of the series will be played on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. ET.
