CARROLLTON, Ga.- The Valdosta State softball team dropped a 10-9 slugfest to West Georgia on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the regular season. The loss gives VSU just its second Gulf South series loss of the season heading into post-season play. Despite this, the Blazers broke the GSC single-season home run record Sunday afternoon, currently sitting at 114 home runs in just 50 games while tying for first in Division II softball history.
 
Following the loss, the Blazers sit locked into the fifth seed of the GSC Championship tournament with a 29-21 overall record and a 19-11 mark in league play. Meanwhile, West Georgia finished its 2024 season with a 20-33 record and a 9-21 record in GSC play.
 
The final game of the series kicked off with a bang as junior Abby Sulte continued her historic weekend by crushing her 29th home run on a solo shot to give the Blazers the early lead in the first, 1-0. However, the Wolves fought back, scoring two runs on two hits including a well-placed double to take the lead, 2-1.
 
Valdosta State continued to battle as senior Katie Proctor blasted her 10th home run of the year on a solo homer to knot the game up in the second, 2-2. West Georgia came right back, breaking the tie with a hard-hit single to go up by one run in the bottom of the second, 3-2.
 
The Blazers stormed back in the top of the fourth, taking a lead-off walk before back-to-back base hits from sophomores Jayme Prandine and Jasmin Stewart loaded the bases. Then in the blink of an eye, pinch hitting sophomore Lexi Patterson came up big in a clutch moment, cranking a grand slam to left field for her second home run of the year to put the Blazers up three, 6-3.
 
The Wolves answered back with a run in the bottom of the fourth on a single and a Blazer miscue to cut the VSU lead to two, 6-4. However, the Valdosta State bats delivered once again as sophomore Saylor McNearney kicked off the top of the fifth with a lead-off homer for her 13th of the year, putting the Blazers up three once again, 7-3.
 
West Georgia continued to battle, putting together a momentum-shifting fifth inning that saw the Wolves come within one of the Valdosta State lead. UWG struck for three runs on one VSU error and three hits, including a home run to cut the VSU lead to one, 7-6. The Blazer offense continued to fight off the Wolves in the top of the sixth as Sulte cracked a bloop single just before senior Aniston Gano smashed a two-run home run for her 21st homer of the year to put Valdosta State up by three, 9-6.
 
UWG would not go away quietly, constructing a game-breaking sixth inning that saw the Wolves score four runs on a grand slam to go up by one run entering the seventh inning, 10-9. VSU attempted to rally once more in the top of the seventh as a lead-off walk and a bunt put a Blazer base runner on second with one out. Junior Brandie Seber then hit a double to put two Blazers on with one just 90 feet away from home plate. However, a Blazer win was not in the cards as a groundout ended the VSU rally. UWG ended up winning the final game of the series while scoring the series victory, 10-9.
 
Three Blazers took the circle in Sunday's contest as freshman Toree Wofford got the start, going one inning. She allowed three runs on two hits and three walks. Junior Madison Lumpp then came in and went three innings while giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks. Graduate student Nadia Zenteno (6-9) came in and pitched the final two innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits. She finished the game with one walk and one strikeout.
 
Collectively, the Blazers tallied 10 hits in the game, including home runs from Sulte, Proctor, Patterson, McNearney and Gano. Patterson led the team at the plate with four RBI and a run on a grand slam to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game.
 
The Blazers will now turn their attention to the Gulf South Conference Championship tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. this upcoming week. The fifth-seeded Blazers are set to open up play in the tournament on Wednesday, May 1 when they take on the fourth seed which will either be Alabama Hunstville or West Florida at 4:30 p.m. EST. For more information on Blazer softball and the upcoming GSC Championship tournament, make sure to stay tuned to vstateblazers.com.