CLINTON, Miss.- The Valdosta State softball team fell to No. 13 Mississippi College in a hard-fought 10 inning slugfest on Sunday afternoon, 7-6. The loss marks the first series sweep of the Blazers on the year and the first conference series loss of the season.
 
Valdosta State now sits at 22-17 overall with a 13-8 mark in the Gulf South Conference. Meanwhile, Mississippi College improved to 31-6 overall with a 15-6 overall conference record.
 
Similar to the series opener, the Choctaws struck first, tallying the first run of the game on a string of singles to go up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
 
The Blazers put up a fight in the third inning as sophomore Jasmin Stewart blasted a lead-off double to begin the frame. Junior Brandie Seber then cracked a base hit before Senior Morgan Hill launched a three-run shot to tie Marti Littlefield's second place career home run record with 56 home runs in her VSU career. Junior Abby Sulte then took a walk before Senior Aniston Gano smacked her 14th homer on the season on a two-run bomb to give the Blazers a four-run advantage, 5-1.
 
Valdosta State built onto its lead in the top of the fourth as the hot bat of Stewart struck again, this time with a solo home run for her fifth of the year, 6-1.
 
The Blazers remained on top for nearly the remainder of the game until the Choctaws decided to give VSU a scare in the bottom of the sixth. MC ended up rallying for four runs on two Blazer errors and two hits including a two-run home run to cut the Valdosta State lead to just one run in a flash, 6-5.
 
Things got interesting in the bottom of the seventh as Mississippi College knotted the game up in a hurry, scoring a lead-off home run to make the game a 6-6 affair. Fortunately, the Blazers were able to rally and limit the damage to just one run as the game was sent to extra innings.
 
Neither team was able to score in the eighth or the ninth as the game remained locked in a stalemate heading into the 10th inning, 6-6. The Blazers were unable to get any runs in the frame as the Choctaws walked it off with a single up the middle to take the series sweep, 7-6 in 10 innings.
 
Junior Savannah Barfield had the start in the circle for the Blazers, going 5.2 innings while allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits. She fanned two batters while giving up two walks. Junior Madison Lumpp closed out the game for VSU, going 3.2 innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. She tallied one punchout and allowed one walk.
 
Valdosta State collectively tallied seven hits in the game including one double and three home runs. The Blazers were led at the dish by Jasmin Stewart who racked up two runs on two hits including a double and a solo home run for one RBI to earn Guardian Bank Player of the Game honors.
 
The Blazers will be back in action at Steel's Diamond in Valdosta this week as it hosts regional foe Saint Leo in a doubleheader on Wednesday, Apr. 10 at 3 p.m. For more information on Valdosta State softball, visit vstateblazers.com and head to the softball schedule page.