CARROLLTON, Ga.- Junior Abby Sulte made Gulf South Conference history on Saturday afternoon when she broke the GSC single season home run record, smashing three homers in a doubleheader split with West Georgia. Valdosta State came up short in the first game, 8-5, before bouncing back for a 12-3 victory in game two. For the season, Sulte currently sits at 28 home runs in 49 games, passing the previous record of 27 homers which was set by VSU's Courtney Albritton in 2014.
 
Following the doubleheader split, VSU sits at 29-20 overall with a 19-10 record in the GSC. Meanwhile UWG sits at 19-33 overall and 8-21 in conference play.
 
Game #1: West Georgia 8, Valdosta State 5
 
The Blazers got off to a more than favorable start to the series as senior Morgan Hill tallied a lead-off single just before Abby Sulte launched her 26th homer of the year to put Valdosta State up 2-0 in a hurry. Sulte's 26th home run put her just one away from tying Courtney Albritton's Valdosta State and GSC single season record with 27 homers.
 
UWG answered back almost immediately in the bottom of the first, picking up two runs on a single and a Blazer throwing error to even the contest at 2-2. The Wolves went on to take the lead in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to go up 3-2.
 
A few innings later, Valdosta State responded as the white-hot senior Aniston Gano crushed a solo shot for her 19th home run of the season to tie the game up 3-3 in the top of the fifth. However, the Wolves stuck back in the bottom of the fifth, tallying two runs on two hits including a solo home run to take back the lead, 5-3.
 
The Wolves had another big inning in the bottom of the sixth, tallying three more runs on a three-run home run to go up by five heading into the seventh, 8-3. However, the Blazer would not go away quietly as a bunt from junior Brandie Seber led to Sulte belting her 27th home run of the year to tie both the VSU and conference record on a two-run blast, 8-5. Unfortunately, the Blazers were unable to capture the lead, falling to the Wolves in the series opener, 8-5.
 
The Wolves faced two different Blazer pitchers in the game as junior Madison Lumpp (8-6) got the start. She went 4.1 innings while allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks. Junior Savannah Barfield then came in and went 1.2 innings while allowing three runs on two hits. She struck out four batters and walked three.
 
VSU racked up a total of eight hits in the contest including home runs from Sulte and Gano. Sulte led the team at the plate with two hits for two runs and four RBI on her pair of two-run home runs to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game.
 
Game #2: Valdosta State 12, West Georgia 3 (5 Innings)
 
VSU kicked off game two with an eventful first inning as Gano continued her hot streak at the plate, blasting a double to right center to put two Blazers on base. Sophomore Saylor McNearney then took a walk to give Valdosta State a bases-loaded opportunity early. Senior Katie Proctor's patience at the plate earned her the first run of the contest on a bases-loaded walk to give VSU the 1-0 lead. Junior Carly Bogart then cracked a hard-hit single to boost the Blazers to a 2-0 lead by the end of the first.
 
The Blazers continued to pile it on in a groundbreaking second inning as a lead-off walk led to Sulte making conference history. The St. Petersburg native crushed her history-making 28th homer on a two-run shot to put Valdosta State up 4-0 in a flash. Later in the inning McNearney got in on the action, blasting a solo homer for her 12th home run of the year to put the Blazers up 5-0 by the end of the second.
 
The Blazer bats continued to stay hot in the top of the third as two Blazers took hit-by-pitch walks to begin the inning. Hill took advantage of the UWG mistakes, wrecking a three-run home run for her 15th homer of the year to put VSU up 8-0. This home run also marks Hill's 57th career home run as a Blazer, putting her firmly at second place in Valdosta State history in the category. The inning was not quite over yet as Sulte took a walk before Gano blasted her 20th home run of the season on a two-run bomb to give VSU the 10-0 lead by the end of frame. Gano's home run also made history, tying the current single season conference record for home runs by a team, previously set by Valdosta State in 2023 with 109.
 
West Georgia cut into the Blazer lead in the bottom of the third, picking up one run on two hits and a VSU miscue to make the game a nine-run affair, 10-1. However, Valdosta State picked up two more runs in the top of the fifth as McNearney cracked a 2 RBI single to put VSU up 12-1 heading into the bottom of the frame.
 
The Wolves would not go down without a fight, picking up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to bring the game within nine runs. However, the Blazers were able to wrap the game up following a flyout in foul territory to take game two of the series in five innings, 12-3.
 
Freshman Toree Wofford (10-2) got the start in the circle, going all five innings for her seventh complete game and 10th victory of the season. She allowed three runs on five hits while walking two batters and striking out one.
 
VSU racked up seven hits in the second game of the afternoon including a double from Gano and four home runs from Sulte, Hill, McNearney and Gano. The Blazers were at the plate by McNearney who picked up two hits for one run and three RBI with a solo home run to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game.
 
The Blazer softball team will look to claim its ninth GSC series win on Sunday when it takes on West Georgia in the series final rubber match set for 12 p.m. For more information on Valdosta State softball, visit vstateblazers.com and head to the softball schedule page.