MONTGOMERY, Ala.- The No. 13 Valdosta State softball team dropped a pair of games in a Gulf South Conference series doubleheader on Saturday Afternoon at Auburn Montgomery. The Blazers fell in a narrow 2-1 loss in the first game of the series before dropping the second game, 9-1 in five innings. 

The Blazers dropped to 32-11 overall and are 18-8 in GSC play. The Warhawks improved to 30-14 overall and 19-6 in conference play.

Game #1: Auburn Montgomery 2, #13 Valdosta State 1
AUM struck first in the bottom of the second with a lead-off solo home run to give the Warhawks an early 1-0 lead. Then in the top of the sixth, freshman Jasmin Stewart crushed a solo shot to put the Blazers on the board and knot the game up at 1-1.

Both teams continued to fight to break the tie as the Blazers had six hits with nine left on base while Auburn Montgomery had four hits and four left on base by the end of the sixth inning. The game remained locked at 1-1 until the bottom of the seventh when the Warhawks hit a walk-off home run to take game one of the series, 2-1.

Senior Samantha Richards was in the circle for the Blazers, recording her 26^th complete game of the season and sixth loss of the year (23-6). Richards tallied five strikeouts, one walk and allowed five hits for two runs in six total innings. At the plate for the Blazers, Stewart tallied two hits, one run and one RBI on a solo home run to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.

Game #2: Auburn Montgomery 9, #13 Valdosta State 1 (Five Innings)
Auburn Montgomery took an early lead in the bottom of the first, scoring three behind three hits and three Blazer miscues as VSU trailed 3-0 by the end of the first. The Warhawks then scored another in the bottom of the second behind a groundout to advance a runner home from third, going up 4-0.

AUM added on another run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly to build its lead to 5-0. However, senior Taylor Lewis put the Blazers on the board in the top of the fourth with a solo homer to cut the Warhawks lead to four, 5-1. Lewis' home run was the Blazers 100^th of the season, adding to their nation-ranked best.

The Warhawks added on four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 9-1 before closing out the game in the fifth behind the eight-run rule. Auburn Montgomery scored the game two 9-1 victory in five innings to win the weekend series.

Three Blazers took the circle for the Blazers, but sophomore Madison Lumpp was credited with her second loss of the season (7-2). The Blazer pitchers combined one strikeout, five walks and six hits for nine runs in four total innings. Lewis recorded one hit for one run and one RBI with her solo home run for the Blazer's 100^th homer of the season to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.

The Blazers will face the Warhawks in the series finale on Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. ET. For live stats, streaming, roster information and all things Valdosta State softball, visit vstateblazers.com.