GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Valdosta State softball team dropped two games on Saturday in the Gulf Shores Invitational, falling 7-1 to No. 24 Oklahoma Christian and falling 14-10 to Lubbock Christian. 
 
The Blazers conclude the tournament tomorrow facing Florida Tech at 12:45 p.m. ET and then at 3 p.m. ET against No. 9 Rogers State.
 
#24 Oklahoma Christian 7, Valdosta State 1
VSU left one runner on base in the top of the second and two in the top of the third before OC used a bunt single and a single for runners at the corners and a sacrifice fly plated the first run of the game.  A single plated the second run for a 2-0 lead.
 
Rupp then doubled home a run in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-0 Lady Eagle lead and then Karsyn Iltis hit a two run home run in the bottom of the fifth for a 5-0 lead.  Blazer junior Saylor McNearney began the top of the sixth with a double and senior Aniston Gano drove her home for a 5-1 deficit.  OC hit a home run in the bottom of the sixth and a RBI single for the final margin of 7-1. 
 
McNearney finished the game 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored, while Gano was 1 for 3 with one RBI.  Graduate student Clair Maulding (1-1) took the loss, going six innings, allowing 12 hits, seven earned runs, walked one and fanned two. 
 
 Lubbock Christian 14, Valdosta State 10
The Lady Chaps (2-1) used a two out RBI single for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as VSU (1-2) exploded for five runs in the bottom of the frame with RBI singles from Gano and senior Carly Bogart.  Later in the frame, sophomore Toree Wofford laced a two RBI single to left field, followed by junior Evie Pitts driving Wofford home with a double for a 5-1 score.
 
LCU singled home a run in the top of the second, before the Blazers tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the inning on a bases loaded hit by pitch to Bogart and a bases loaded walk, followed by a sacrifice fly from junior Charlotte Phillips for an 8-2 lead.
 
The Lady Champs scored their third run of the game with two out in the top of the third and then plated four runs in the top of the fourth, again with two out, on a RBI single, followed by an error on the Blazers, a bases loaded walk and a two RBI single up the middle on a 3-2 count. 
 
The second error of the game on VSU tied the game at eight in the top of the fifth, but the Blazers responded with a two RBI double in the bottom of the frame from McNearney for a 10-8 lead. 
 
LCU manufactured six runs in the top of the sixth for a 14-10 lead as the Lady Chaps had scored in every inning to that point.  Down to their final at bat, the Blazers used a two out hit batter, a single from McNearney and a walk to Gano, bringing the tying run to the plate, but were unable to get the hit. 
 
Blazer junior Rachael Lee went 3 for 4 with three runs scored in the game, while McNearney was 4 for 5 with two runs scored and two RBI.  Wofford took the loss (0-1) in relief of senior starter Savannah Barfield as Wofford went 1.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits.