ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The No. 17 Valdosta State baseball team won its 30
th game of the season, downing Eckerd College on the road 4-1 Tuesday evening. VSU improved to 30-12 on the year, while Eckerd fell to 18-21.
For the game VSU scored four runs on eight hits and no errors, while the Tritons scored one run on six hits and no errors. The Blazers left 12 men on base, while Eckerd stranded eight in the contest as the Blazers ran their winning streak to a season-best six games.
Senior
Bryson Gandy was the only Blazer with multiple hits in the contest, going 2 for 4 with a run scored and a walk. VSU did not have an extra-base hit in the game. Sophomore
Zach Dodson earned the win on the hill, going five innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, walked two and fanned four as he improved to 1-1 on the year. Sophomore
Trent Lewis was named Guardian Bank Blazer Player of the Game as he went 1 for 2 with two RBI.
With the Blazers leading 4-1, the Tritons put two on in the bottom of the ninth with walk and a double with one out. Senior
Brandon Raiden relieved junior
Zane Stephens and, on a 3-2 count to pinch-hitter Gunner Womer, Raiden got him to pop out to shortstop for the second out. He then ended the game with a fly out to center field by pinch-hitter Weston Wiles for Raiden's first save of the year.
VSU had the offense going early, putting two on in the first inning, but was unable to score. Dodson had two on in the bottom of the second, but came up with a big strikeout to end the threat. In the third, VSU broke through with a leadoff single from junior
David Crawford and later in the frame senior
Orlando Adams singled to left, plating graduate student
JP Gates for a 1-0 lead.
The Blazers left the bags full in the fourth as Eckerd then tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly. The tie was short lived, however, as the red and black used walk to Gandy and a single to left from sophomore
Hunter Stowe to begin the sixth. From there, Lewis singled to center on an 0-2 count and then a run scored on a balk for a 3-1 lead. Lewis then had a sacrifice RBI for a 4-1 lead in the seventh for the 4-1 margin.
VSU returns home to host No. 15 West Florida in the regular season Gulf South finale Friday and Saturday at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park. The series gets underway Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. for Senior Day.
