CLEVELAND, Tenn.- The Valdosta State softball team concluded a successful five-game road trip by finishing off a three-game Gulf South Conference series sweep of Lee on Sunday afternoon. Valdosta State took the third game of the series 13-5 after coming back from being down 5-3 in the third inning.
 
With the win, VSU improved to 12-8 overall with a 5-1 record in the GSC while Lee fell to 7-4 overall with a 3-3 mark in league play. As a whole, the Blazers went 4-1 on this week's road trip, only dropping one loss to Flagler on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Blazers looked to pick up where they left off yesterday in the top of the first, loading the bases on two walks and a single from junior Brandie Seber. VSU went on to score two on Lee miscues as senior Aniston Gano was hit by a pitch for a bases loaded walk just before sophomore Saylor McNearney was granted an RBI via a walk. Sophomore Jayme Prandine capped off the inning with an RBI single to the shortstop, putting the Blazers up 3-0 by the end of the frame.
 
The Lady Flames struck right back in the bottom of the first, racking up three consecutive base hits, including a pair of bunts, to score a run and put runners in scoring position. Lee then cracked two sacrifice flies to score two more runs and even the game at 3-3 by the end of the first.
 
Lee ended up taking the lead in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run to go up 5-3 by the end of the inning. However, the Blazers struck back in explosive fashion as junior Abby Sulte blasted her sixth home run of the week on a two-run bomb, pulling VSU back into the contest at 5-5 by the middle of the fourth.
 
The Valdosta State offense picked back up in the top of the fifth as junior Carly Bogart and Aniston Gano rallied for back-to-back blasts to give the Blazers the two-run lead, 7-5. Bogart's home run marks her third of the week while Gano's is her third of the series against Lee.
 
In the top of the sixth, senior Morgan Hill got in on the action, mashing a home run of her own to right field to give the Blazers a three-run lead, 8-5. VSU kept its momentum going in the frame, loading the bases on a double from Sulte and a pair of walks as a passed ball scored another for Valdosta State, 9-5. With two runners still on base, Saylor McNearney crushed a three-run shot to give the Blazers a seven run lead in the blink of an eye, 12-5.
 
The Blazers cashed in another run in the top of the seventh on a single from Seber and a Lee throwing error, putting Valdosta State up eight, 13-5. In the bottom of the seventh, junior Madison Lumpp and the VSU defense was able to lock down the win, allowing no runs as the Blazers completed the series sweep, 13-5.
 
VSU had a total of three pitchers enter the circle in Sunday's contest as Madison Lumpp (3-2) was credited with the win. Lumpp went a total of 4.2 innings, tallying three strikeouts and one walk while allowing no runs on just two hits. Junior Savannah Barfield also saw action in the circle, going 2.1 innings while allowing two runs on three hits with one strikeout and no walks.
 
Collectively VSU tallied 13 runs on one error and 10 hits including a double from Sulte as well as home runs from Sulte, Bogart, Gano, Hill and McNearney. The Blazers were led at the dish by Sulte who extended her home-run streak to five games with her two-run homer today. For the game, she went three of four at the plate for three runs and two RBI with a double and a home run to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
 
The Valdosta State softball team will be back in action at home next week when it hosts Union for a three-game series, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 2 p.m. For more information on Blazer softball, visit vstateblazers.com and go to the softball schedule page.