MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Valdosta State baseball team opened a three-game, Gulf South Conference series at Auburn Montgomery with a 7-3 victory Friday evening behind a strong start on the mound from graduate student JP Gates.
 
Gates, who improved to 5-0 on the year, went 6.2 innings, allowing three earned runs, on nine hits while he walked one and fanned two as the Blazers improved to 27-12 on the year and 16-9 in Gulf South Conference play.  Gates was 2 for 4 with one run scored, a home run and two RBI at the dish as he was named Guardian Bank Blazer Player of the Game.  Fellow graduate student Nick Gonzalez was 3 for 4 with three runs scored for the Blazers. Junior Nick Ferrara finished the final 2.1 innings, not allowing a hit or a run and fanned two Warhawks to earn his second save of the season.  VSU finished with seven runs on nine hits with one error.
 
The Warhawks (18-26, 10-15 GSC) were led offensively by Jackson Ceman, who was 3 of 4 with three runs scored, while Kasey Clark was 3 for 4 with one RBI and a double. AUM starter Clay Slagle (3-5) took the loss in six innings of work, allowing seven hits, five runs – four earned, walked one and fanned one.
 
VSU opened the scoring in the first inning with a sacrifice fly from graduate student Jakob Sessa for a 1-0 lead, following hits by both Gonzalez and Gates.  The Warhawks tied the game at one in the bottom of the frame on a RBI single from Brody Syer. 
 
The Blazers took the lead for good on an RBI double from sophomore Trent Lewis in the top of the second for a 2-1 lead after fellow sophomore Hunter Stowe earned on an error with two away.  VSU then made the lead 3-1 in the third on an RBI single from sophomore Jovanni Canegitta. AUM then cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the frame on an RBI ground out from Syre.
 
Gates blasted a two-run shot to left center for his fifth round-tripper of the year in the fifth and a 5-2 lead. AUM scored one run in the seventh, but the Blazers answered with home runs from sophomore Connor Morgan in the eighth and senior Bryson Gandy in the ninth for a 7-3 final.
 
The teams are scheduled to conclude the series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. ET.  Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the games at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page.