VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazer baseball team defeated the no. 13 ranked Quincy Hawks in a closely contested contest at Billy Grant Field on Tuesday night. Valdosta State jumped out to a 11-1 lead, but defensive miscues allowed the Hawks get it to 11-9 thanks to a seven-run eighth inning.
The Blazers improved to 6-3 (1-2 GSC) on the season as they head to Cleveland, Tenn. to face Lee this weekend. Quincy University drops to 0-4 on the season, as they continue their road trip to Columbus State this weekend.
Redshirt junior
Hunter Booth picked up his third win of the season, as he pitched 0.2 innings out of relief. Junior
JJ Finn picked up the first Blazer save of the season, as the tall righty came in for a four out save to clip the Hawks.
A total of 19 position players played for head coach
Greg Guilliams, as the top of the order was straight up dominant for VSU, with the first four of junior
Pedro Moreno, senior
Ryan Romano, sophomore
Dennis Pierce, and junior
Hunter Stowe combined for five hits, eight runs scored, and seven runners driven in. As a team, Valdosta State walked a total of 11 times and were hit by three pitches. This resulted in them being aggressive on the basepaths, as the Blazers stole a total of eight bases on the evening, making it a season high.
Freshman
Jacob King got the start today, as the Valdosta, Ga. product came out and got things done, striking out on batter in two innings of work and not allowing a hit on 25 pitches. Things got jump-started quickly for the Blazers, as Moreno and Romano reached on two quick singles to put the pressure on the Hawks,
Dennis Pierce drew a walk to load the bases for Stowe, who was plunked by the pitch to put VSU up 1-0 early. Senior
Jacob Harper was able to hit one deep enough to right to bring home Romano and make it 2-0 early. Graduate student
Leeandro Alfonzo brought home another with a groundout, as it was 3-0 after one.
It was the top of the order again for the bottom of the second, where Moreno walked and stole a base. Romano then hit a little dribbler to the third baseman where he stood no chance, as an infield single has VSU within striking distance yet again. Pierce drew another walk to bring up Stowe, who flew out to center to bring home Moreno and make it 4-0. A perfectly executed double steal brought home Romano to make it 5-0 through two.
The Hawks were knocking at the door, as a ball off the wall in right brought home a run, but a perfectly relay from Romano to Alfonzo to Harper was able to stop them from scoring any more. The one run that Quincy scored in the top of the third was the only earned run for the Hawks all evening.
Things were quiet for the next few innings, until Valdosta State had yet another bases loaded opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, as
Dennis Pierce was left with the bases loaded and one out. The Blazers were looking for their signature hit of the game, and the recent Steel's Player of the Week delivered, smoking a ball into the left field corner, driving in three and sliding headfirst into third to make it 9-1 VSU. A sacrifice fly from Stowe brough home Pierce to make 10-1 through five.
Walks were piling up for the Hawks, as the bottom of the sixth resulted in another run for the Blazers on a bases loaded walk to Romano to make it a ten-run lead through six.
Valdosta State had Quincy backed against the wall, where QU scraped together a run on a few wild pitches to make it 11-2 in favor of VSU heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The top of the eighth was pure pandemonium, as the Blazers retired the first two Hawks in order as Valdosta State was four outs away from winning the game. A single gave QU some hope before two straight errors by the Blazer infield plated a run and made it 11-3 with two outs and two on. A hit by pitch had the bases loaded, where Dustin Dupont smoked a ball to right field, bringing home two more and making it 11-5. Yet another single brought home a Hawk as it became a 11-6 game. The big Austin Simpson got a hanging off-speed pitch on a 1-2 count and shot it over the wall in right center as it suddenly became a 11-9 game in the blink of an eye.
Greg Guilliams went to his top arm in
JJ Finn, who came and allowed two straight hits before forcing a groundout and halting the Hawks run.
Finn came out for the top of the ninth and retired the first two batters before Connor Simmons slapped one up the middle, bringing the tying run to the plate. Finn painted the corner on a 2-2 count, halting the Hawks hopes of a comeback as Valdosta State came out on top, 11-9.
