VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team opened the 2023 season with a 10-6 loss at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park to Embry-Riddle in the first game of a three-game series.  
 
The Blazer offense came alive in the second inning as graduate student Jakob Sessa began the frame with a single to center and then stole second.  With two out, junior Jacob Harper singled down the right field line, plating Sessa.  Senior Bryson Gandy followed with a three-bagger, scoring Harper for a 2-0 lead.  VSU then proceeded to load the bases with a pair of walks, but the Eagles were able to get out of the jam with a ground out, leaving the bags full.
 
VSU starting pitcher senior Kevin Tomas walked the first batter of the game and then retired ten-straight until Jeremy Kennedy-Davis singled to left for the first hit of the contest for the Eagles in the top of the fourth.  Tomas fanned Zach Coldsnow for the final out of the frame.  
 
The Blazers added a run in the fifth, once again with two away, as graduate student JP Gates singled up the middle and Sessa moved him to third with a single to center.  A wild pitch from ERAU starter Tyler Stufano plated Gates for a 3-0 lead.  
 
ERAU wouldn't go quietly, however, as in the sixth Tomas retired the first two batters with ease, but a double from Alex Britton began the rally, followed by an RBI double down the left field line from Kennedy-Davis for a 3-1 score.  The Blazers went to the bullpen in favor of sophomore JJ Finn replacing Tomas. A walk and then a fielding error loaded the bases for the Eagles and Garrett Bogart singled home two runs as did Timo Aracena for a 5-3 Eagle lead.  Tomas went 5.2 innings, allowing three hits, two runs – one earned, walked one and fanned four in a no decision.  
 
The Eagles would add one run in the eighth on an Aracena RBI single and then scored four more runs in the top of the ninth for a 10-3 lead, highlighted by a Bogart two RBI double.  
 
VSU made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth as senior Bryson Gandy walked and then an error and a senior David Crawford RBI single, followed by an RBI groundout and a RBI single from Gates for a 10-6 score.
 
The Blazers finished with six runs on nine hits and two errors, while ERAU had ten runs on 12 hits and one miscue.  Finn (0-1) took the loss in 1.2 innings, allowing five hits, four unearned runs, walked one and fanned two.  Stufano (1-0) earned the win in five innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, walked two and fanned three as Gunnar Harrison pitched the final four innings to earn the save.
 
Gates, Sessa and Harper all had multi-hit games for the Blazers as Harper had two doubles in the contest earning Guardian Bank Blazer Player of the Game honors.  Aracena and Kennedy-Davis each had three hits for the Eagles.
 
The Blazers will look to rebound Saturday with a doubleheader against ERAU beginning at 1 p.m.  Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com.  The games also will be broadcast on 94.3 WJEM FM in Valdosta with Bill Malone having the call and on foxsportsvaldosta.com.