OXFORD, Ala.- Behind home runs from freshman Jasmin Stewart, sophomore Abby Sulte, and freshman Jayme Prandine, the Valdosta State softball team responded with an 8-4 victory over West Florida in a GSC Tournament elimination game Thursday afternoon at Choccolocco Park.
 
VSU (34-15), who is the No. 5-seed in the tournament, advanced to a Friday morningmatchup with the loser of either No. 2-seeded Mississippi College and No. 3-seeded West Alabama at 11 a.m. ET.
 
The Blazer offense came out of the gate on fire as junior Taylor Macera and junior Morgan Hill cracked a pair of singles to lead off in the top of the first. Sulte then took a walk to give the Blazers an early bases loaded opportunity. Senior Taylor Lewis hit a sacrifice fly to score Macera from third as VSU went up 1-0. Then in the blink of an eye, Stewart blasted a three-run shot to tally three more runs for Valdosta State, 4-0.
 
In the bottom of the second, the Argonauts tacked on a run behind a double, a single and a Blazer miscue to cut the VSU lead to three, 4-1. UWF added another run in the bottom of the third on a double and a sacrifice fly to make the contest a two-run game, 4-2.
 
The Blazers struck back with a pair of runs of their own in the top of the fourth as Prandine opened the inning with a leadoff single. Junior Katie Proctor then got on base behind a hit-by-pitch walk. Freshman Evie Pitts was put on first to pinch run for Proctor before freshman Saylor McNearney smacked a triple to score Prandine and Pitts, putting the Blazers up 6-2 by the end of fourth.
 
In the top of the fifth, Sulte smashed her 20^thhomer of the year on a solo shot to give the Blazers a five-run lead by the end of the inning, 7-2. In the top of the sixth, Prandine launched a solo shot of her own to put the Blazers up 8-2. With Prandine's home run, the Blazers recorded their 109^th homer of the season, surpassing their previous season home run record of 108 set in 2021. The 109 home runs also rank as the most home runs hit in a season in the Gulf South Conference and currently leads all of NCAA in 2023 (Division I, II & III). 
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Argonauts tacked on another run on a single, a walk and a double to cut into the VSU lead, 8-3. UWF added another run on a sacrifice fly to make the contest a four-run affair, 8-4. From there, the Blazer defense was able to clamp down for the last out to avoid elimination, in an 8-4 victory.
 
For the game, VSU finished with eight runs on nine hits and one error, while UWF had four runs, five hits and no errors.  Stewart finished 2 for 3 with one run scored, three RBI, and a three-run home run to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors. Sulte went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, one RBI, a home run and one walk.  VSU senior pitcher Samantha Richards went the distance, improving to 25-9 on the year, allowing five hits, four runs, walked two and fanned four.