AMERICUS, Ga. – In the midst of an eight-game road trip, the Valdosta State baseball team posted a 9-2 victory at Georgia Southwestern Tuesday evening as it improved to 11-4 on the year, while GSW fell to 7-4.
The Blazers improved to 4-1 on the road trip and have three games at Shorter this weekend to complete the eight-game road swing. VSU and Shorter battle in a single game Friday at 12 p.m., followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m. With the win Tuesday, VSU now has won 13-straight midweek games dating back to a 3-2 victory over Georgia Southwestern on Mar. 23, 2021.
The Blazers got off to a quick start with one run on three hits in the top of the first inning as graduate student
JP Gates laced an RBI double for a 1-0 lead after junior
David Crawford and graduate student
Nick Gonzalez began the game with singles. The hit by Gates marked the 11
th-straight game of recording a hit. VSU continued on the offensive in the second inning as senior
Bryson Gandy tripled and then scored on an error for a 2-0 lead.
In the third, VSU posted two runs on two hits and another error on the Hurricanes proved costly. With two out in the inning, Gates doubled, followed by an RBI triple from graduate student
Jakob Sessa and he scored on an error for a 4-0 lead. The 'Canes strung together a couple of hits and a hit batsmen in the bottom of the inning as Jake Blinstrub came up with an RBI single for a 4-1 score, but Blazer freshman starter
Anthony Martens ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts leaving runners stranded at second and third.
GSW pulled within 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI triple from Miles Hartsfield. The game remained 4-2 until the eighth, but both teams had chances in the sixth and seventh innings with runners on base. VSU used a pair of walks and junior
Jacob Harper came up with a two RBI single through the left side with two away for a 6-2 lead. In the ninth, VSU tacked on three more runs with a sacrifice bunt, a throwing error and an RBI single.
Martens went four innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, walked one and fanned five, while graduate student
Jeremy Adams picked up the win in relief (1-2), going two innings, allowing one hit and fanning four. Gates finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored, two doubles, one RBI and a walk to earn Guardian Bank Blazer Player of the Game. Blinstrub was 3 for 4 with one run scored and one RBI for the Hurricanes.
The teams will meet in Valdosta on Apr. 11 at 5 p.m. at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park to conclude the season series.
