WINTER PARK, Fla. – The Valdosta State Blazers dropped their season opener at Rollins College on Friday afternoon with a final of 8-3. VSU dropped to 0-1 while RC started off 1-0. Both teams are back at it again tomorrow at 1 p.m. for game two of the three game series.
 
As a team, Valdosta State tallied 12 hits to Rollins ten, as the Tars hit a total of fix extra-base hits with two of them being home runs as the Blazers didn't record anything greater than a single. Four Blazers tallied two hits as Pedro Moreno, Jovanni Canegitta, Orlando Pena, and Will Beckham were all productive for head coach Jan Weisberg. Zac Dodson was given the loss for VSU, as the righty went 4.1 innings while allowing seven hits and four earned runs while striking out one batter on 77 pitches.
 
For Rollins, starter Nick Berger cruised through five innings as he struck out four Valdosta State starters while allowing one earned run on just 74 pitches. Former GSC foe Dalton Pyzer had a great afternoon at the dish, as the former Union Bulldog went 2-4 with two RBI and one double as he fit the bill at the cleanup spot.
 
VSU senior Garrett Byrd tallied the first Blazer hit of the season in the top of the first inning, as he reached on a single up the middle in the top half of the first before he was left stranded. Dodson rolled through the bottom of the first as he rolled a 6-4-3 double play after the leadoff batter reached on a throwing error.
 
Rollins struck first in the bottom of the second, as a two-out single to left from Chris Sparber brought home a batter that reached earlier on a double to give the Tars a 1-0 lead. Rollins would extend the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third on three hits and hit batter to put the pressure on Valdosta State.
 
VSU would get on the board in the top of the fifth inning as a leadoff single followed by back to back bunt singles from Farid Eljaiek and Pedro Moreno loaded the bases with no one out. A fielder's choice brought home Will Beckham to make it a 3-1 game. Canegitta would strikeout for the second out of the inning before Eljaiek was caught stealing at home to end the Blazer threat with one runner left on base. For the day, the Blazers left seven runners on base. Rollins would steal that run right back in the bottom half with a leadoff double that was brought home with one out to extend the lead to 4-1 through five.
 
The Blazers would score their final two runs in the top of the eighth inning as senior Hunter Stowe would bring home Moreno on a single up the middle. With two outs, Senior DJ Banks would bring home Canegitta on a dribbler through the left side as that was all the put together before falling 8-3 in the season opener.