VALDOSTA, Ga. – In a series that had high postseason implications, the Blazer baseball team was able to split the doubleheader and win their sixth straight series versus the Delta State Statesmen, who were second in the Gulf South Conference heading into this weekend. Valdosta State improved to 22-14 (14-10 GSC) while Delta State dropped to 25-16 (16-8 GSC). The Blazers are now a game back of fourth place heading into the home stretch.
 
Delta State was aggressive early in both games, scoring a combined eight runs in the first two innings, as their offense came to life after a lackluster performance the night before. Dennis Pierce was the star of the series, as the sophomore from Quakertown, Pa. drove in nine runs on the weekend to bring his season total to 58, which is second in the GSC. After starting off slow in game two, Hunter Booth settled in and was able to pick up his seventh win of the season in his 14^th appearance. His final line was: five innings, five hits allowed, three earned runs, and no walks allowed. Junior Jovanni Canegitta was all over the place in both games on Saturday, as he finished his day going 5-6 with a home run, two runs scored, four RBIs, and two walks.
 
GAME ONE: DELTA STATE: 7 VALDOSTA STATE: 5
 
Junior Hunter Booth was on the bump for game one and started the game with three straight weak contact outs to retire the Statesmen in order to open game one. Junior Pedro Moreno extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a leadoff single to left to kick off the bottom of the first. Senior Ryan Romano drew a five-pitch walk to put two on and no one out. Sophomore Dennis Pierce hit into a 4-5 fielder's choice double play. Junior Hunter Stowe picked him up with a long double into left to bring home Pierce and give VSU a 1-0 lead through one.
 
Delta State came out swinging in the top of the second, with an error on a hard-hit ball and a double to left had runners on second and third with two out. A nasty breaking ball from Brown set down the second batter of the inning. DSU took a 2-1 lead with a two-out single from Taylor Woodcock. Back-to-back singles brought home another run and were still threatening with runners on second and third with two out. More two out hitting brought home two more runs as it was 5-1 heading to the bottom of the second.
 
Freshman Jacob King came in for the Blazers in the top of the third to provide some relief for head coach Greg Guilliams. The Valdosta native came in and retired the Statesmen in order, forcing three lazy fly balls to senior David Crawford in center in the top half. A one out single to left from Dennis Pierce followed by a groundout had Pierce in scoring position with two down where he was left stranded.
 
King pitched another clean inning in the top of the fourth capped off with a strikeout as Delta State was still leading 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth, Jacob King took the mound for the third straight inning in the top of the fifth. After allowing two straight base hits, Greg Guilliams went to his bullpen for sophomore Raynel Ortiz. After forcing a fielder's choice to the first batter he faced, Ortiz walked Hayden Cooper to load the bases with one out. A four-pitch walk brought in a run as it was now 6-1 Delta State. Another Statesmen was walked after battling before Ortiz rolled a 4-6-3 double play as DSU led 7-1 halfway through the game one. Junior Jovanni Canegitta battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a seven-pitch walk to attempt to jump start the VSU offense as the order flipped over. Moreno battled yet again and shot a ball to left for a single to put Canegitta in scoring position with no one out. A walk drawn by Romano had the bases juiced for the slugger Dennis Pierce. A high fly ball brought home Canegitta and advanced all of the runners as it was 7-2 Delta State. Drake Fontenot was able to get out of the jam with a slight scratch as DSU was leading 7-2 through five. 
 
After a clean top of the sixth, two walks had runners at first and second for Jovanni Canegitta, who chopped a ball past the first baseman to bring home Crawford and run the Delta State starter out of the game with the Statesmen up 7-3. Fresh out of the bullpen, Delta State's Noah Magee struck out the first Valdosta State hitter before forcing a hard flyout to remove the VSU threat with DSU up 7-3 through six innings of ball.
 
A walk and a bloop single had runners at first and second to open the seventh inning before Greg Guilliams opted to his bullpen, bringing in junior Trey Jackson. After Jackson forced a pop out to second, coach went to the bullpen again, this time bringing in junior Garrett Sagro. In relief, Sagro forced a weak pop out before forcing a groundout to get the Blazers out of a jam. In the bottom of the seventh, Magee retired the first two Blazers before walking Harper to bring up David Crawford, who grounded out to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, graduate student Owen Lawn led things off with a double off the right field wall to bring up sophomore DJ Banks, who singled past the diving shortstop into left to put runners at the corners with no one out. After a five pitch walk to Canegitta to load the bases, Pedro Moreno chopped a ball to the pitcher, who mishandled it to keep everyone safe and bring home a run, as Valdosta State was suddenly back in the game, trailing 7-4. Delta State brought in Josh Hill, who inherited the bases loaded with no one out. Fresh out of the bullpen, Hill forced a double play that plated a run to make it 7-5 in favor of the Statesmen. The Statesmen were able to catch the Blazers stealing to end the eighth, as DSU was up 7-5.
 
A fourth straight clean inning by the arms gave the Blazer bats a chance to tie it in the bottom of the ninth, trailing 7-5. Hunter Stowe opened the half with a line drive to deep center that was snagged by the center fielder for out number one. Harper was caught looking which brought up center fielder David Crawford. After starting down 0-2, Crawford took a ball before grounding out to first to drop game one.
 
GAME TWO: DELTA STATE: 8 VALDOSTA STATE:9
Delta State jumped out to a 3-0 lead early thanks to a two RBI double from designated hitter Hayden Cooper. Valdosta State went in order in the bottom of the first as Statesmen starter Logan Cromer had it going early.
 
Redshirt junior Hunter Booth settled in during the top half of the second, as the Saint Petersburg, Fla. native retired the side in order for a clean top half of the second. Jovanni Canegitta smoked a ball up the middle to open the second inning with some offense. After a flyout from Stowe, catcher Jacob Harper drew a one out walk to put runners at first and second with one down. After David Crawford legged out an infield single with two outs, the bases were loaded with two down for DJ Banks, who flied out to right to end the threat.
 
Delta State had to pull their pitcher in the bottom of the third due to injury. Facing a fresh arm, Pedro Moreno drew a four pitch walk to open the bottom half. With two down and a 1-1 count, Jovanni Canegitta got the pitch he was looking for and launched a two-run homer into the trees in right for his third homer of the year, as VSU trailed 3-2 through three.
 
In the top of the fourth, Booth kept rolling, as he sat the Statesmen in order for an easy top half. A hard-hit ball of the glove of the pitcher put Jacob Harper on first with no one out. On a 3-1 count, graduate student Owen Lawn laced a ball over the second baseman's head to advance Harper to third as VSU was on the prowl for some runs. A poor pick-off attempt by DSU brought home Crawford and advanced Lawn to third with no one out and the game tied at three. The Statesmen went to their bullpen for some help, as they brought in southpaw Jackson Wilson to try and get DSU out of a jam. A liner to left retired the first batting as the order flipped around to the top. A groundout and a walk had the bases loaded yet again for Dennis Pierce. Struggling all day with the bases juiced, Pierce broke through with a double into right to clear the bases and bust the game wide open. After a dropped third strike and errant throw, Pierce scored and Canegitta advanced to second as it was all of a sudden 7-3 Blazers after four.
 
In the top of the sixth, Greg Guilliams went to his bullpen and brought in his lockdown closer Nick Ferrara to try and shut down the Statesmen for the final six outs. After allowing just a single hit in the top of the sixth, Ferrara shut them down on 15 pitches to get out of the inning untouched, leading 7-3. In the bottom of the sixth, a one out single followed by an intentional walk to Pierce brought up Canegitta, who hit a hard grounder up the middle to plate Romano and give VSU some insurance, now up 8-3. After a ball scooted under Delta State's glove, another run crossed the plate to give Valdosta State a 9-3 heading into the top of the seventh.
 
Ferrara took the mound in the seventh, as he allowed a solo shot to open the final frame to Hayden Cooper, who drove in his fourth run of game two. Ferrara fanned the pinch hitter on four pitches to bring up the last hope for Delta State at the top of the order. A line drive off a diving Romano kept the Statesmen's hopes alive. Another hard-hit ball brought another runner home to make it 9-5. A third straight hard-hit ball brought the tying run to the plate in cleanup hitter Dylan Coleman. On an 0-2 pitch, Ferrara hit Coleman to bring another run home as it was now 9-6. A bloop hit the very next pitch brought home two more to make it 9-8 put the tying run on second base. With the crowd on their feet, Ferrara forced a soft dribbler at third baseman DJ Banks, who tagged the runner to secure the Valdosta State win, 9-8.
 
The Blazers are back at home Tuesday, April 16 at 5 p.m. versus Georgia Southwestern before hosting Christian Brothers on Friday, April 19 at 5 p.m. for game one of a three game series.