VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazers swept the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans by taking games two and three at Billy Grant Field on Saturday afternoon. Valdosta State improved to 5-8 overall and 4-1 in GSC play while Trevecca Nazarene dropped to 4-8 overall and 2-4 in GSC play.
 
After dominating the first game of the doubleheader, things got tight in game two after VSU blew a 5-1 lead before DJ Banks walked things off in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly. This was the first time the Blazers have swept a GSC series at home since March 19-20 of 2022 against Shorter and the last overall GSC sweep since April 21-22 at Auburn Montgomery that same year. As it stands, Valdosta State is in second place in the Gulf South Conference standings while Delta State sits in first at 5-0 in GSC play.
 
Orlando Pena was the star of the weekend, as the third baseman went 7-13 with two home runs, two doubles, a triple, eight RBI, and four runs scored. Marcos Sevillano continued to keep his bat hot as he went 5-9 and raised his season batting average to .467 which is the best in the GSC. Banks recorded two hits in each game today as the second baseman also scored a total of two runs and drove in four including the game winner Saturday night.
 
Starter Hunter Booth was lights-out in his second consecutive start as the righty went a season high 7.0 innings while allowing three hits and walking one while fanning four. On the year, Booth has an ERA of 3.27 which is tied for third among qualified starts in the GSC with teammate Zac Dodson, who also carries a 3.27 ERA.
 
Drake LaRoche got the call in game two, as the righty from BSC went 5.2 innings while allowing 4 runs with one of them being earned while striking out five and surrendering one walk.
 
Valdosta State hits the road as they play Saint Leo on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. before taking on Alabama Huntsville for a three-game set starting on Friday, Feb. 28.
 
 
GAME ONE – VALDOSTA STATE 8, TREVECCA NAZARENE, 0
 
Hunter Booth whizzed through the Trojan order in the top of the first, as he fanned two batters enroute to a perfect 1-2-3 in inning number one. In the bottom of the frame, Pedro Moreno opened things up with a leadoff double into the left field corner to kick things off. After TNU starter Jonah Smithson retired the next two hitters and running the count full, Orlando Pena smoked a ball back up the middle to give VSU a 1-0 lead through one inning of play.
 
Booth continued to roll, as he was through three innings of no hit ball while striking out three and walking one on 43 pitches as Valdosta State held onto a 1-0 lead through three.
 
Valdosta State started to churn together some hits as Marcos Sevillano opened things up with a single to left in the bottom of the fourth that was quickly erased by a double play. Ortiz was plunked with two outs to bring up Garrett Byrd, who smoked a single past the diving shortstop into left as they looked to spark a two out rally. Down in the count, catcher Will Beckham blooped a ball into right field just past the first baseman as VSU produced a run with a 2-0 lead through four in Valdosta.
 
The Trojans picked up their first hit in the top of the fifth on a bloop single into left with one away. Following a strikeout and a stolen base, catcher Will Beckham blocked a ball in the dirt and hosed the runner trying to advance to third for the final out of the inning. In the bottom half, DJ Banks opened the inning with weak single up the middle before Jovanni Canegitta laced a ball past the first baseman for a double to put runners on second and third with no one away. With runners in scoring position, Orlando Pena hit his second home run of the weekend over the left field fence as Valdosta State extended the lead to 5-0. Following a hit by pitch to the next hitter, TNU head coach Chase Sain elected to go to his bullpen as he brought in southpaw Patrick Green. Out of the bullpen, Green made quick work of the Blazers as he escaped the fifth while allowing no baserunners as VSU led 5-0.
 
Booth continued to churn though the Trojan lineup as he had allowed a total of two baserunners through six innings of shutout baseball on a total of 69 pitches with 48 of those thrown for strikes.
 
In the top of the sixth, Trevecca Nazarene would string together two hits as they had runners at first and second two down. A hit batter loaded the bases with two away that prompted a mound visit from assistant coach Geoff Bramblett with big hitter Abbott Lawrence stepping up to the dish. After jumping ahead 0-2, a sharp ground ball to shortstop Andres Natera ended the threat as he tossed the ball to Banks at second as Booth escaped the jam with a 5-0 leading heading to the seventh inning stretch. Jovanni Canegitta opened the bottom frame with his second hit of the afternoon. Pena kept his bat hot as he smoked a ball down the left field line as two runners were in scoring position with no one out. After going to a pinch hitter, Easton Hood smoked a ball that found the right fielder's glove but brought Canegitta around to score as VSU extended the lead to 6-0 though seven.
 
Jan Weisberg went to the bullpen in the top of the eighth as he went to Preston Wetherell to try and record the final six outs. After forcing back to ground outs to second for the first two outs, a weak single put a runner on first with two outs. On a 2-2 count, a deep fly ball was tracked down by Garrett Byrd on the run to retire the side. Pedro Moreno hit his second leadoff double followed by a triple from DJ Banks to add some insurance. A groundout from Canegitta added yet another run as VSU led 8-0 through eight innings of game one.
 
Wetherell trotted out for the top of the ninth to pitch in a second inning and ran into some trouble as he placed runners on first and second with one away. Wetherall went right back to work as he forced a flyout before striking out the final hitter as the Blazers took game two of the series, 8-0.
 
GAME TWO – VALDOSTA STATE 6, TREVECCA NAZARENE 5
 
Drake LaRoche got DJ Banks involved early in the final game of the series, as he retired the Trojans in order on three consecutive ground balls to Banks at second for a perfect top of the first inning. Pedro Moreno opened the bottom of the first with a single before he caught stealing for the first out. Banks would then single to the third baseman on a high chopper and advanced to second on a wild pitch a few pitches later before Canegitta was set down on strikes for out number two. A soft grounder ended the VSU threat as the score was tied at zero through one.
 
LaRoche would surrender his first hit of the afternoon in the top of the third as a leadoff single from TNU's Josh Griffin. A short chopper advanced the runner to second with one away before a single up the middle brought Griffin around to score as the Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. With one out and runners on first and second, LaRoche executed a perfect pickoff at first before fanning the last better to escape the jam while allowing one run.
 
After the VSU bats were silent in the bottom of the third, LaRoche went straight to work with a 1-2-3 innings while striking out two in the top of the fourth. Canegitta opened the bottom of the frame with an opposite field double into the right center gap followed by a triple from Orlando Pena to tie things up and looking for more. Sevillano drew a walk to put runners at the corners with no one away as TNU went to their bullpen to try and escape the inning with the game tied. The first pitch Natera saw from the new arm nicked the top of his helmet to load the bases with no one away. A botched 6-4-3 double play attempt resulted in an error from the second baseman on the throw which scored two Blazer runs as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead with one away. Hood kept the momentum with a double to center to place runners on second and third with one down. Another new arm for TNU plunked Beckham on the first pitch as the bases were juiced yet again. A two-out single up the middle from Banks brought Ortiz and Hood around to score as the game as Valdosta State opened up with a 5-1 lead through four.
 
LaRoche allowed two hits in the top of the fifth but was able to escape a jam with runners on the corners as the steady glove of Banks kept the Trojans at bay through four and a half innings. Following a quiet bottom of the fifth, LaRoche was sent out in the sixth and was able to retire two before and error and a hit brought up slugger Abbott Lawrence, who took advantage of the error with a three-run shot into right as all of a sudden it was a one run game. Weisberg elected to go to the bullpen and brought in Keaton Fuller to try and get the final four outs of the game. Keaton would retire the last batter of the inning with a weak fly ball to center field. VSU would go down in order in the bottom of the sixth as Fuller trotted out to try and get the final three outs with VSU leading 5-4.
 
After retiring the first batter in the top of the seventh, TNU leadoff hitter Joey Parliament tied things up at five on a solo home run as the Trojan dugout erupted as their backs were against the wall. Fuller was able to retire the rest of the side but not before Trevecca Nazarene tied the game up at five. VSU was retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh as the game was heading to extras.
 
Hayden Sottile took the ball in the top of the eighth and the first batter greeted him with a hard hit ball to the shortstop and was underthrown as the leadoff hitter reached on an error. Sottile would come back with a strikeout to retire the first batter of the inning. Natera would make the play at short on a short dribbler for out number two as the go-ahead run advanced into scoring position. Sottile would escape the jam on a line drive hit right to Pena at third as VSU had a chance to walk it off. With one out in the bottom half, Natera singled up the middle followed by a bloop hit from Ortiz to place the winning run on second base. Following a popout, a wild pitch advanced the winning run 90 feet away with two retired. VSU couldn't get the bat off their shoulder as they struck out to send the game to the ninth.
 
Ryan Brown came in to throw in the top of the ninth as an error allowed the first batter to reach. A sacrifice bunt followed by infield single had runners at first and second with one out. Brown would get the TNU two hole hitter to go down swinging for out number two. Brown would get the last batter to roll over on a grounder to short as he escaped unharmed. Moreno was hit by the pitch to open the bottom frame as the leadoff hitter was on early. Moreno stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by the catcher as he was 90 feet away with no one out. Banks launched a ball off the bat on a liner to right field that was hauled in with the throw being a tad late as Moreno slid headfirst into home as VSU swept the Trojans with a 6-5 victory in game three.