VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazers and West Alabama Tigers split the first two games of the weekend series as Hunter Booth struck out a career high ten batters in a complete seven innings in game two. Valdosta State is currently sitting at 11-10 overall and 8-2 in GSC play while West Alabama is 14-8 overall and 8-3 in GSC play heading into game three tomorrow.
 
The Blazers had their chances in game one, as they racked up 12 hits to the Tigers' nine. UWA scored four runs in the first inning after Zac Dodson allowed the first four to reach base. After that, Dodson would settle in as he went 6.0 innings and allowed four earned runs on two walks while setting a new career high in strikeouts with eight on 112 pitches. At the plate Farid Eljaiek tacked up a season high three hits on four at bats in game one. West Alabama starter Bryant Quimby picked up his fourth win of the season as he got all of the big outs while logging 6.0 innings and only striking out two on 91 pitches.
 
VSU had all the momentum from the first inning on in game two as they scored at least one run in five of the six innings with Pedro Moreno hitting his first home run of the year on a solo shot while Orlando Pena belted his sixth to lead the team. After surrendering a home run to the second batter he faced. Hunter Booth only surrendered one other hit to the same batter for another home run as he went a complete seven innings on 98 pitches while walking two. DJ Banks continued his hot start at the plate as he totaled three hits across both games to extend his on base streak to a perfect 22 games. Marcos Sevillano meanwhile is on a 14 game hitting streak while Banks and Moreno each have an 11 game streak.
 
Tomorrow's game has been moved up and hour to 12:00 p.m. ET with the anticipation of rain tomorrow afternoon.
 
 
GAME ONE: UWA – 5 VSU - 2
Following a bloop single, UWA drew a walk and was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no one out. Dodson would come back to strikeout the cleanup hitter looking for the first out. West Alabama would strike first on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Fisher Moss would open the game up quickly as he lifted a high fly ball into right that carried as the Tigers extend the lead to 4-0. Following a ten pitch at bat in the bottom of the first, DJ Banks singled through the left side to reach base in his 20^th consecutive game. Marcos Sevillano would draw a walk to put a runner in scoring position with one away. West Alabama starter Bryant Quimby would retire the next two batters as he escaped the jam with a 4-0 lead.
 
Following a perfect 1-2-3 with two strikeouts, Easton Hood opened the bottom of the second with a double into left center on the first pitch he saw as the next three batters were retired in order as VSU was 0-5 with runners in scoring position through two innings as they still trailed 4-0.
 
The Blazers were finally able to put a run on the board in the bottom of the third as Orlando Pena doubled off the wall in right to plate as Sevillano raced home as Pena was gunned down at third to end the third with the Tigers leading 4-1.
 
Zac Dodson's pitch count was starting to get high as he was through four innings on 88 pitches while allowing five hits and striking out six. West Alabama's southpaw Bryant Quimby was locked in from the start as he was through four innings on 62 pitches and had allowed four hits while striking out two.
 
Dodson continued to roll through the UWA lineup as he had tied a career high in strikeouts with eight through six innings of six hit ball as had reached 112 pitches. Marcos Sevillano opened the bottom of the sixth with a balled laced past the second baseman for a single as he advanced to second on a wild pitch with one away. A deep flyout to left advanced Sevillano to third but a first pitch groundout left yet another runner stranded in scoring position as the Tigers continued to lead 4-1 through six innings.
 
West Alabama went to their bullpen in the bottom of the seventh as they brought in right hander Ryan Ladner in relief for Quimby, who went 6.0 innings allowed six hits while fanning three on 91 pitches. Cole Steinmetz opened the bottom half with a single up the middle on a 0-2 count as he tried to give VSU life. After a strikeout from Beckham, Farid Eljaiek recorded his second hit of the game on a high chopper to first as there were two on with one out. Pedro Moreno then singled to short on another high chopper, this time to third as the bases would be loaded with the go ahead run at the plate. On the first pitch to Banks, he chopped the ball to short for a 6-3 double play as UWA got out of yet another jam.
 
Hayden Sottile continued to pitch well in his second inning of work, as he allowed one runner to reach via error in the top of the eighth before striking out two as the Tigers were still up 4-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth. Sevillano singled on a full count to open the bottom frame before Pena drew a four pitch walk to bring the tying run to the dish with no one away. After starting behind 0-2, Hunter Stowe battle it back to 2-2 as he singled up the gut to load the bases yet again, this time with no one retired. UWA elected to go into the pen and brought in righty Judah Bucker, who immediately rolled a 6-4-3 double play as a run scored with West Alabama leading 4-2 through eight.
 
The Tigers took the run right back in the top of the ninth on a solo shot from Jake Goolsby as they were ahead 5-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth. VSU tallied one hit in the bottom of the ninth, but UWA would take game one by a 5-2 final.
 
GAME TWO: UWA – 3 VSU - 6
West Alabama jumped on Valdosta State starter Hunter Booth as Joe Watkins homered and took a ball into right center that just cleared the wall as they were leading 1-0 heading to the bottom of the first. Following a two out walk to Sevillano and a wild pitch, Pena cashed Sevillano in with a jam shot up the middle as things were all even at 1-1 heading to the second.
 
Booth made quick work of the Tigers in the top of the third as a 1-2-3 inning brought the Blazers back up to the dish. Cole Steinmetz led things off with a single up the middle and was advanced to second with two away. Pedro Moreno would come up clutch with a dribbler up the middle as the Blazers jumped ahead for the first time today with a 2-1 lead through two innings in game two.
 
Yet another perfect inning from Booth kept the lead at 2-1. Through three, Booth had allowed one hit on 34 pitches with 28 of them being strikes. The Blazer bats came up again and Sevillano continued to show why he is the best hitter in the conference with a leadoff single into right. East Hood would hit his league leading tenth double down the left field line as Sevillano slid in safely at home as the lead grew to 3-1 after three innings.
 
West Alabama was threatening in the top of the fourth with a leadoff walk and stolen base from Joe Watkins. Booth wasn't fazed, as he struck out the next two batters and was saved by his defense as Farid Eljaiek laid out for a diving catch in center that saved a run to retire the side with no damage done. With two outs and no one on, Pedro Moreno turned on the first pitch he saw and launched a solo shot into the dark Valdosta sky as the lead grew to 4-1.
 
After yet another 1-2-3 inning from Booth, Orlando Pena hit his team leading sixth homer of the season on a solo shot into deep left as the lead was extended to 5-1. The Blazers then went on a two out rally as a one out single from Steinmetz brought catcher Will Beckham to the plate, who smoked a triple into the right field corner he slid headfirst into third with a 6-1 lead.
 
Booth retired the first batter in the top of the sixth as Raynel Ortiz made a slick pick at first. The second batter would reach second on error at short as Joe Watkins would make them pay with his second home run of the night on a two run blast as VSU still led 6-3. After getting the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the sixth, UWA reliver Drew Cartee would get the next three out to keep the score at 6-3 heading to the top of the seventh.
 
Booth retired the first batter on a grounder to third as Pena made a strong throw to first. The next batter would walk on five pitches before booth would sit Wayne Wilkerson on down on strikes for his tenth punchout of the night and out number two. Booth would get the last batter to roll over a ball as Pena made yet another play at third with VSU taking game two, 6-3.
 
Tomorrow's rubber match that was orginally slated for 1:00 p.m. ET has been moved to 12:00 p.m. Please visit vstateblazers.com for more updates.