VALDOSTA, Ga.- The Blazer softball team dropped the series finale of a three-game Gulf South Conference series to Delta State on Sunday afternoon, 8-4. Despite falling in the third game of the series, Valdosta State won the series as a whole following a doubleheader sweep on Saturday.
 
Following the loss, Valdosta State dropped to 25-19 on the season with a 15-9 mark in the GSC. Meanwhile, Delta State improved to 11-34 overall and 6-18 in conference play.
 
The Lady Statesmen went up in a hurry, taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the second on a three-run homer to left field. Delta State then added on three more runs on four hits to double its lead in the top of the third, 6-0.
 
DSU continued to build up its lead in the top of the fourth, tallying two more runs on a solo home run and three total hits to go up 8-0. The game remained locked at 8-0 until the bottom of the fifth. In that frame, the Blazers tallied two hits from seniors Morgan Hill and Aniston Gano before senior Katie Proctor cracked a sacrifice fly to left field to break up the DSU shutout, 8-1.
 
The Blazers gained life in the bottom of the seventh as Katie Proctor smashed her eighth home run of the season to deep center field, bringing VSU within six, 8-2. Sophomore Saylor McNearney kept the rally going with a hard-hit ball to center for back-to-back home runs to bring the Blazers within five, 8-3. Junior Brandie Seber kept the comeback hopes alive later in the inning on a bloop single to score another run for Valdosta State, 8-4. Unfortunately, the VSU comeback bid fell short as an infield pop-up closed out the inning in the blink of an eye, 8-4.
 
VSU collectively tallied seven hits including homers from Proctor and McNearney while collecting eight total walks on the afternoon. Overall, Valdosta State did well getting runners on base but were unable to capitalize, leaving 12 total Blazers stranded on the base paths in the game. The Blazers were led by Proctor at the dish, who tallied two RBI on one hit and one run with a solo home run and a sacrifice fly, earning Guardian Bank Player of the game.
 
Three Blazer pitchers took the circle in the matchup as junior Madison Lumpp (7-5) got the start. She went 2.1 innings, giving up six runs on six hits with one walk and a strikeout. Graduate Student Nadia Zenteno came in to relieve her, going 1.2 innings with two runs on four hits while walking one batter. Freshman Toree Wofford closed out the game, pitching three innings while not giving up any runs or hits. She struck out one batter while not walking any.
 
The Blazers will be back in action at Steel's Diamond next weekend as they take on Christian Brothers in the final regular season home series of the year. Action begins with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. For more information on Valdosta State softball, visit vstateblazers.com and go to the softball schedule page.