ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.- The Valdosta State softball team split with non-conference opponent Flagler in a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The Saints took the first game of the day 8-5 before the Blazers bounced back to take the second game, 5-3.
 
Valdosta State now sits at 9-8 overall while Flagler holds a 12-6 record.
 
Game #1: Flagler 8, Valdosta State 5
In the first game of the day, Flagler struck first in the bottom of the first inning on a bloop and a blast to go up 2-0 early.
 
Valdosta State remained resilient, striking back in the top of the third as junior Sierrah Snook singled before senior Morgan Hill doubled to put two Blazers in scoring position. Junior Brandie Seber ended sending the pair of Blazer baserunners home on a single, evening the game up at 2-2.
 
The Saints broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth as VSU gave up three home runs in the inning including back-to-back shots, going up 5-2 by the end of the frame. However, VSU responded in a big way in the top of the fifth as the inning kicked off with Snook and Hill cracking a pair of base hits to get the Blazers on base early. A sacrifice fly from Seber cut the Flagler lead to 5-3 before junior Abby Sulte crushed her eighth home run of the year on a two run shot to tie the game up at 5-5.
 
Flagler came and snatched the lead right back in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs on a pair of base knocks and a Blazer fielding error to go up 8-5 by the end of the inning. In the top of the seventh, VSU only managed to get one base runner on by a walk as the Blazers dropped the first game of the afternoon, 8-5.
 
Freshman Toree Wofford got the start in the circle, going 3.1 innings with one strikeout and no walks while allowing five hits for four runs. Junior Madison Lumpp (2-2) finished the game, pitching 2.2 innings with two walks and one strikeout while giving up four runs (one unearned) on four hits.
 
The Blazers collectively tallied six hits for five runs in the contest with Hill and Snook picking up multiple hits in the game. Sulte blasted the only home run for the Blazers in the game on her two run homer for one run and two RBI, earning Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
 
Game #2: Valdosta State 5, Flagler 3
The start of the nightcap remained a defensive affair with no hits scored until the top of the fourth. The Blazers brought offensive life to the game in a big way as a lead-off walk led to Abby Sulte crushing her second home run of the afternoon to give VSU the breakout 2-0 lead in a flash. However, the Blazers were not done scoring quite yet in the frame as junior Carly Bogart cranked a two-run homer of her own to build the Valdosta State lead up to 4-0.
 
Flagler ended up scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth on a Blazer fielding error as well as two hits to chip away at Valdosta State's lead, 4-1. The red and black ended up building its lead right back up to four runs in the top of the sixth after a wild pitch scored Seber from third as VSU led 5-1 heading into the bottom of the frame.
 
Flagler ended up threatening the Valdosta State lead in crunch time at the bottom of the seventh inning. The Saints tallied a solo home run before stringing together three base hits to score another run, 5-3. Luckily for the Blazers, graduate student Nadia Zenteno came in and forced a flyout for the final out as Valdosta State took the hard-fought game two victory, 5-3.
 
In the circle, junior Savannah Barfield (2-0) nearly went the distance, going 6.2 innings while allowing seven hits for three runs (one earned) with only one walk. Meanwhile, the Blazer offense tallied five total hits for five runs in the contest including a double from sophomore Jasmin Stewart and home runs from Sulte and Bogart. The pair of Sulte and Bogart collectively recorded two runs for four RBI on their two-run homers, proving to be crucial in the nightcap against Flagler, earning the pair co-Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
 
The Valdosta State softball team will now set its sights on the Lee Lady Flames as the Blazers are set to head to Cleveland, Tenn. for a conference series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 12 p.m. For more information on the upcoming series and all things VSU softball, visit vstateblazers.com.