VALDOSTA, Ga.- The No. 10 Valdosta State softball team is set to host Georgia Southwestern in a two-game doubleheader on Tuesday, April 4 at Steel's Diamond with action beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans can access links to video streaming, live stats, rosters and more at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.
Last weekend, the Blazers swept Gulf South Conference rival, Lee, in a three-game series. The Blazers took game one on Saturday in a narrow 3-0 victory behind senior Taylor Lewis' booming three-run home run in the bottom of the third. VSU then completed the series sweep on Sunday with a pair of wins in an afternoon doubleheader. In the first game on Sunday, sophomore Abby Sulte led the Blazers at the plate, cracking a pair of two-run homers as the Blazers were victorious in game one, 10-1, in five innings. In the second game, the Blazer offense caught fire late for a similar 10-1 victory as freshman Saylor McNearney ended the game in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run shot to put in place the eight-run rule.
Valdosta State currently holds a 28-5 overall record and are 16-2 in GSC play. Collectively, the Blazers have hit 83 home runs for first in the nation and are averaging 2.52 home runs per game for a national best.
Individually, the Blazers are led by Sulte at the plate, batting .398 for 32 runs on 37 hits with two doubles, 17 home runs and 46 RBI. Her 17 home runs are tied for first in the Gulf South Conference while she is also second in the conference in home runs per game, tallying 0.52 per game. Sulte is also tied in the GSC in RBI with 46. Junior Taylor Macera has also had an impressive showing at the dish this season, batting .373 on 38 hits for 26 runs on eight doubles, 10 home runs and 32 RBI.
Senior Samantha Richards continues to be lights out in the circle for the Blazers this season, hoisting a 2.06 ERA behind 164 strikeouts, 26 walks and 47 runs on 122 hits in 149.1 total innings. Richards has 20 complete games while also hoisting 21 starts for first in the conference. She has six shutouts for a conference best, picking up one last weekend against Lee. Meanwhile, her 164 strikeouts are good for first in the GSC and her 21-2 record is a league best.
Georgia Southwestern enters the week with a record of 29-8 overall with a 12-3 record in the Peach Belt Conference. The Hurricanes are under the direction of head coach Nicki Levering, who in six seasons with Georgia Southwestern has a 143-113 record. The Blazers lead the all-time record with the Hurricanes, 36-1, while Georgia Southwestern had its first win over the Blazers last season on February 23, 2022 in a close 4-2 contest.
Individually, the Hurricanes are led by Katelyn Wood at the plate, who is batting .482 for 34 runs on 55 hits with 12 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 43 RBI. Zoe Willis is another notable name in the Hurricanes lineup, batting .474 for 47 runs on 46 hits with six doubles, 16 home runs and 41 RBI. Georgia Southwestern is led in the circle by pitcher Savana Bradford. Over the course of the season, Bradford has accumulated 13 wins, nine complete games, two shutouts and one save. She has a 1.85 ERA with 93 strikeouts, 22 walks and has allowed 31 runs on 67 hits. Willis also sees action in the circle for the Hurricanes, holding a 12-2 record with seven complete games, three shutouts and one save. Over 83.1 innings pitched, she has tallied 85 strikeouts, 21 walks and allowed 34 runs on 75 hits for a 2.27 ERA.
Following the doubleheader with Georgia Southwestern, the Blazers will return to Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park to host West Alabama in a three-game conference series, kicking off with a single game on Friday, April 7 at 5 p.m.
