VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a sweep of then-No. 22 West Alabama last weekend, the Valdosta State softball team looks to keep the momentum going as it travels to Delta State for a three-game series.  
 
The series was altered due to the threat of inclement weather in Mississippi as the teams now will play a doubleheader Friday, March 14 beginning at 2 p.m. ET, followed by a single game Saturday, Mar. 15 at 2 p.m.  ET.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for further updates.
 
VSU enters the week with an 11-11 record overall and a 7-4 mark in GSC play as it has won four-straight games with a 2-1 series win over Alabama Huntsville (March 1-2) and the sweep of the Tigers.  The Blazers are looking to get over .500 for the first time since the season-opening win against Spring Hill College on Jan. 31.  Delta State enters at 9-8 overall and 5-6 in league play.
 
Looking at the Gulf South Conference standings, West Florida owns a one game lead (9-3) over Auburn Montgomery and Mississippi College (8-4), while VSU is 7-4 in league play for fourth.  West Alabama and Alabama Huntsville are each 7-5 in league play, while Trevecca Nazarene is 6-6 and Delta State is 5-6 for eighth.  DSU dropped two of three at Christian Brothers last weekend and has dropped six of its last seven. 
 
The Blazers have won four-straight and six of eight as VSU outscored UWA 26-8 last weekend and 10-0 in the finale for the series sweep.  Graduate student Claire Maulding earned GSC Pitcher of the Week honors as she went 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA in two starts and three appearances with one shutout in the series sweep of No. 22 West Alabama.  She pitched 13 innings, allowing just three hits, two runs - one earned, walked six and fanned 21 as UWA hit just .073 against her.  Maulding improved to 9-6 on the year and she posted a one-hit, 10-0 shutout in five innings on Saturday to sweep the series.  In the opener, she struck out a VSU career-high 13 in a 9-2 win where she allowed just two hits and two runs.  In the relief appearance, she pitched a strong seventh inning with two strikeouts as VSU walked off the win in the bottom of the seventh, 7-6 off Friday's twin bill to win the series.  
 
Senior infielder Carly Bogart was named GSC Player of the Week as she was 5 of 8 from the dish versus West Alabama (.625) with three runs scored, three home runs and eight RBI.  She slugged 1.750 with one walk and reached base at a .600 clip.  Bogart had one sacrifice fly and one sacrifice hit, while she was 1.000 in the field with two put outs and three assists.  She went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, two home runs and five RBI in the 10-0 run-rule victory Saturday to sweep the series.  She was 2 for 3 with a run scored, two RBI and a home run in the 7-6 walk-off victory on Friday in the nightcap of the doubleheader.  
 
This season, the Blazers are fifth nationally in home runs with 27 for tops in the GSC.  The Blazers are sixth nationally in home runs per game at a 1.23 clip to lead the league, while the team is third in the league in doubles (28), second in on base percentage (.384) and second in slugging percentage (.491) for 37^th nationally.  VSU leads the GSC in sacrifice bunts (20) for 21^st nationally, while the team is 56^th nationally in walks and second in the league with 71 free passes.  The Blazers have been plunked by 20 pitches for 18^th nationally and tops in the league.  
 
Individually, Maulding is fourth nationally in complete games (11) for second in the GSC, while she is eighth nationally in starts (13) for second in the league.  She is ninth nationally in innings pitched (84.1) for third in the GSC, while she is 13^th nationally in strikeouts (87) for third in the league and 16^th nationally in victories for third in the league (9).  Maulding is 13^th nationally and second in the league in shutouts with three.  
 
Offensively, senior Aniston Gano leads the league in batting average at a .471 clip, while she is sixth in the league in hits (32) and seventh in home runs with five.  She is 26^th nationally in on base percentage at a .566 clip for tops in the GSC and is fifth in the league in slugging percentage at a .735 clip, while she is fifth in the league in total bases (50).  Bogart and junior Saylor McNearney are tied for third in the league in home runs with six each for 32^nd nationally, while Bogart is third in the league in RBIs (22) and McNearney is third in the league in runs scored (23).  Entering the week, Gano has hit safely in the last 12 games for the longest streak this season, while she has reached base currently in 16-straight games for the longest of the season also.  
 
VSU has won 29 of the last 38 games in the series and has won nine of 11.  VSU won two of three in the series in Valdosta last season, while winning five of its last six in Cleveland, Miss.  The Blazers are 10-5 since 2009 against the Lady Statesmen in Cleveland. 
 
The Lady Statesmen enter the series hitting .284 for the season with 127 hits, 69 runs scored, 15 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 60 RBI.  The team is slugging .369 and have a .345 on base average with 30 walks and 14 hit batters.  The Lady Statesmen are 19 of 24 in stolen bases.  As a staff, DSU has a 3.75 ERA in 112 innings, allowing 141 hits, 82 runs – 60 earned, walked 33 and fanned 76 as teams are hitting .296 against it.
 
Individually, Emma Collier leads the team with a .426 batting with 20 hits, eight runs scored, six doubles, one triple and eight RBI.  She is slugging .596 with one walk, one hit batsmen and a .449 on base clip.  In the circle, Ellie Cox leads the team with a 2.63 ERA and a 2-1 record in 32 innings.  She has allowed 40 hits with 22 runs – 12 earned, walked five and fanned 19.