CLEVELAND, Tenn.- The Valdosta State softball team caught fire at the plate on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Lee in a Gulf South Conference series doubleheader. The Blazers took the first game 13-5 in six innings before winning the second game, 15-5 in six innings. In the two games on Saturday, VSU tallied 28 runs on 22 hits including two doubles, one triple and seven home runs for 20 RBI.
 
Following the doubleheader, Valdosta State improved to 11-8 on the year with a 4-1 record in the GSC while Lee fell to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
 
Game #1: Valdosta State 13, Lee 5 (6 Innings)
 
In the first game of the series, Valdosta State got out to an early start offensively as junior Brandie Seber tallied a base knock for the first hit of the game in the second at-bat. Junior Abby Sulte then stepped up to the plate and launched a "no-doubter" home run for her 10th homer of the season, putting VSU up 2-0. However, that was not the only damage done by the Blazers in the frame as senior Aniston Gano sliced an RBI triple down the right field line, scoring junior Carly Bogart from first to give Valdosta State the 3-0 lead by the end of the first.
 
The Lady Flames ended up cutting into the VSU lead in the bottom of the first on a walk and a base hit as the Blazers still led, 3-1. In the top of the third, VSU accounted for the Lee run in first as Carly Bogart crushed her second home run of the week on a solo shot to give the Blazers back the three-run lead, 4-1.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Valdosta State offense started cooking once again as Sulte kicked off the inning with a lead-off single followed by a base hit from senior Katie Proctor, putting two Blazers on early. A sacrifice bunt from Bogart moved the Blazer base runners into scoring position just before Gano blasted a three-run shot to put VSU up 7-1 in the blink of an eye.
 
Lee came right back and threatened the Valdosta State lead in the bottom of the fifth, racking up four runs on a VSU error and three hits including a two-run homer to make the contest a two-run affair in a flash, 7-5.
 
The Blazers ended up capitalizing on Lee mistakes in the top of the sixth, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a Lee throwing error. With the bases loaded, Proctor singled up the middle to score Hill from third before a throwing error cleared the bases to give the Blazers a swift 10-5 lead. Later in the inning a sacrifice fly from sophomore Jayme Prandine put the Blazers up 11-5 before a dropped fly ball from Lee scored two more to give VSU an eight-run lead by the end of the sixth, 13-5.
 
Graduate student Nadia Zenteno came in to secure the Valdosta State victory in the bottom of the sixth as VSU took the first game of the series in six innings, 13-5.
 
Junior Savannah Barfield (3-0) had the start in the circle for VSU, going five total innings allowing just four hits for five runs with four strikeouts and four walks. Zenteno came in for one inning and tallied one strikeout and two walks while securing the win for the Blazers.
 
The Blazer offense put on an amazing display of power in the first game of the afternoon, tacking a collective 10 hits including a triple from Gano and home runs from Sulte, Bogart and Gano. Aniston Gano had an incredible game for the Blazers, tallying three hits including a triple and a three-run homer for a game-best four RBI to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
 
Game #2: Valdosta State 15, Lee 5 (6 Innings)
 
The VSU offense seemed to pick up where it left off in the first game of the day as senior Morgan Hill kicked off the second contest of the afternoon with a lead-off double. Seber then reached first on a Lee throwing error while scoring Hill in the process, giving VSU an early 1-0 lead. Proctor then hit an RBI single to boost the Valdosta State score to 2-0 by the end of the first.
 
The Blazers continued their offensive prowess in the top of the second as graduate student Melkayla Irvis opened the frame with a double to deep right center before Sulte smashed her second home run of the afternoon to double the Valdosta State lead, 4-0.
 
Lee responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the second 4-1 but was quickly nullified as an RBI single from Irvis in the top of the third put the Blazers up by four again, 5-1.
 
Lee ended up striking back in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs on a pair of doubles and a single to get right back in the game, 5-3. However, the Blazers built themselves some distance in the top of the fourth, loading the bases on a walk, a single and a hit-by-pitch walk. Senior Mackenzie Kilpatrick ended up earning an RBI after being hit by a pitch just before Irvis' patience gave her a bases-loaded walk for another RBI, 7-3. The Blazers ended up scoring another in the inning on a passed ball, giving VSU an 8-3 lead by the end of the frame.
 
The Blazer bats continued to stay hot into the fifth inning as Sulte ripped her third home run of the afternoon to deep left field to begin the inning, 9-3. VSU then got another runner on base via a walk, setting up for Gano, mashing her second home run of the day on a two-run shot to give Valdosta State the eight-run lead entering the bottom of the fifth, 11-3.
 
The Lady Flames held off the run rule in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two runs on one hit and a sacrifice fly, 11-5. VSU fired right back in the top of the sixth as Morgan Hill joined the afternoon home run party, mashing a solo home run over the center field fence, 12-5. VSU continued to pour it on as Proctor tallied another RBI single just before Sulte and sophomore Jasmin Stewart scored runs on back-to-back wild pitches. By the end of the frame, the Blazers led by double digits, 15-5.
 
Junior Madison Lumpp and the Blazer defense were able to get out of the bottom of the sixth unscathed, securing the Blazers the series win and doubleheader sweep with a final score of 15-5.
 
Four different Blazers saw action in the circle in the second game of the afternoon as Nadia Zenteno (3-4) was credited with the win. Zenteno went 1.2 innings, allowing one hit for one run while striking out three and walking two. Freshman Toree Wofford was given the start, going 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Lumpp was given the go-ahead to finish the game for VSU, going 1.2 innings allowing only one hit for no runs while fanning two batters.
 
As a whole, the Blazers hit incredibly well in the second game, tallying 15 runs on 12 hits including two doubles and four home runs. Abby Sulte continued her monstrous start to the season at the dish, going two for two at the plate with both hits being home runs. She racked up three RBI and Four runs in the game while collectively tallying three home runs for a total of five RBI this afternoon alone to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
 
The Blazers will look to complete the series sweep against Lee tomorrow with the first pitch of the series finale set for 1 p.m. For more information on Valdosta State softball, visit vstateblazers.com and go to the softball schedule page.