VALDOSTA, Ga. – It was a perfect day at Billy Grant Field as Hunter Booth tallied a career high 13 strikeouts and Jovanni Canegitta hustled home for a walk off win as the Blazers swept the Flames in the Saturday doubleheader as they came out with yet another series win. Valdosta State is now 24-17 on the season and an astonishing 18-8 in GSC play as they still sit alone in second place.
 
You could tell it was Booth's day in game one, as the righty struck out six batters in two innings as he was getting the Flames off balanced every which way. VSU would get into the scoring column in the second inning as Pedro Moreno singled into the outfield before Orlando Pena drew a walk to give the Blazers a 2-0 lead. They would hold onto that lead and not look back as Booth would finish with a line of 7.0 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, ER, 118 pitches, and a new career best 13 strikeouts which is the most by a Blazer since Elijah Gil did it back in 2021. Ryan Brown would take over in the eighth and not allow a hit as he picked up his fourth save of the year in a 5-1 win.
 
The rubber match was as good as advertised, with a total three lead changes had everyone on their toes in a tightly contested game. The Flames would score two runs in the top of the sixth to even things at seven and had runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Ryan Brown came in for the second time of the day as he quickly shut the door. DJ Banks and Jovanni Canegitta opened the bottom of the seventh with bloop singles to bring up one of the best hitters in the nation in Orlando Pena. The Lee southpaw got exactly what he wanted, a weak dribbler to the third baseman who stepped on the bag but under threw it back to first as Jovanni Canegitta hustled all the way home from first as the Blazers stole the game and series in walk off fashion, 8-7.  
 
DJ Banks continued his impressive feat as he reached safely in both games to extend his on base streak to 41 consecutive games which is the most by a Blazer in over a decade. In game two, Orlando Pena went 3-4 at the plate while driving in three and scoring three as he hit his league leading 16^th home run of the season in the bottom of the third to break the 3-3 tie on a solo shot into right center field. Right behind him was Hunter Stowe, who went 2-3 in game three with a clutch two RBI double bottom of the first as he finished the weekend with a total of seven RBI.
 
GAME ONE: LEE – 1 VSU – 5
Hunter Booth opened game one of the doubleheader with a strikeout of Lee leadoff hitter JJ Williams before surrendering a walk with one out. Booth would fan his second batter of the inning until Tucker Platt singled through the left side to move a runner into scoring position with two away. Booth would punch out his third batter of the inning as he escaped the top of the first with the score at 0-0. DJ Banks reached second on an error in the bottom of the first as a throw from the shortstop went into the Blazer dugout. After Marcos Sevillano was plunked with one out, him and Banks executed a double steal to place two in scoring position. After drawing the count full, Orlando Pena drew a walk to juice the bases, for Stowe who struck out for the second out. Lee starter Zachary Lawson would escape the jam with a soft liner to the first baseman for the final out as the score was knotted up through one.
 
Booth continued to get Lee hitters off balanced, as he struck out three more to set his total to six through an inning and a half. Making his first start since March 4, Jovanni Canegitta drew a five pitch walk to open the bottom of second and stole second while advancing to third on a groundout with one away. Carson Russell drew a walk to place runners at the corners with the order turning over. After going ahead 2-0, Pedro Moreno jammed a ball into left center to give VSU a 1-0 lead. After Banks struck out for out number two, Sevillano drew a walk to load the bases with Lee going to their bullpen early, as right hander Ty Cobb entered to face Pena with the bases juiced. After going down 1-2, Pena battled back to draw a walk as Russell scored to grow the lead to 2-0 after two innings of play.
 
After a perfect 1-2-3 top of the third, the Blazers stole a run on two Lee miscues. Canegitta drew a walk with one out and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored as the throw back in was bobbled as VSU led 3-0 through three.
 
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Lee leadoff man JJ Williams tripled to the deepest part of the ballpark as the roasted a ball of the centerfield wall with two outs but was left stranded as Pedro Moreno made a leaping catch at shortstop to save a run as the lead stayed at 3-0. VSU picked up their second hit of the game in the bottom half as Andres Natera shot a ball up the middle with one out. Lee reliver Ty Cobb continued to torment as VSU as he forced two straight groundouts to retire the side.
 
Booth fanned two more in the top of the sixth as he was at a career high 11 strikeouts on 95 pitches as the lead stayed at 3-0 through six innings.
 
After a quiet bottom of the sixth, Josiah Miller drew a full count walk and stole second with no one out in the top of the seventh. After running the count full again, Hunter Booth set Cooper Doughman down looking for the first out. After rolling a grounder for the second out, Lee shortstop Ashton Simmons muscled a ball into center to bring around the first run for the Flames as the Blazers led 3-1 as Booth fanned his 13^th batter of the afternoon as he let out on final roar on his final pitch of the afternoon.
 
Ryan Brown trotted out of the bullpen in the top of the eighth as he looked to complete a six out save. After walking the first batter, Brown would retire the next three as he sat the last one down swinging. In the bottom of the eighth, Jovanni Canegitta singled with one out followed by a perfect hit and run as Faried Eljaiek hit a chopper to where the second baseman usually plays as he advanced to second on a bobble by the right fielder with one out. Fresh off the bench, Raynel Ortiz was hit by the pitch with two strikes as the bases were loaded. With two outs, DJ Banks hit a sinking line drive into right that couldn't be corralled by the right fielder as Banks was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to two but not before two runs scored as VSU got some insurance with them leading 5-1.
 
Ryan Brown came out again the top of the ninth and forced a flyout to Canegitta in right for the first out. After running the count to 2-2, Brown forced a weak popout to Banks at second for the second out. Brown would earn his fourth save of the year as a popout to Pena in foul territory game VSU the game two victory.
 
GAME TWO: LEE – 7 VSU – 8
JJ Williams opened the rubber match with an absolute bomb into right as the Flames quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead. After retiring the next batter, LaRoche allowed back to back hits and walked a batter as the bases were loaded with one away. After a mound visit from pitching coach Geoff Bramblett, LaRoche rolled a tailor made 4-6-3 double play to get out of first inning as they trailed 1-0. In the bottom of the first, DJ Banks drew a walk with one out as Canegitta rolled into a fielder's choice for the second out. The Blazers executed yet another hit and run, as Orlando Pena shot a ball past the third baseman as Canegitta hustled all the way around the bases to even the score at 1-1. The score didn't stay tied for long, as Hunter Stowe doubled into the left field corner on a 0-2 count to take a 2-1 lead. After Andres Natera battled on a 2-2 count and blooped a single into center as VSU lead 3-1 after one.
 
The Valdosta State defense struggled in the top of the second, as an errant throw at third following a single plated a run as the runner reach third before scoring on a sacrifice fly as the game was tied at 3-3.
 
After Lee went the bullpen in the bottom of the third, Orlando Pena hit his league leading 16^th home run of the season as he launched a solo shot into right center field as Valdosta State took a 4-3 lead.
 
In the top of the fourth, Drake LaRoche continued to get quick outs as he retired the side in seven pitches after Pena made a nifty play at third capped off by a beautiful pick by Natera at first with the lead still at 4-3. Cole Steinmetz singled up the middle with one out in the bottom half and advanced to second and third after two separate wild pitches with one away. After a strikeout and a grounder, Lee reliever Jax Howard was able to escape as the score remained the same.
 
After walking the first batter on five pitches in the top of the fifth, Lee second baseman Luke Collier dropped a perfect bunt to put two one with no one away. A sacrifice bunt from Isaiah French moved the tying run 90 feet away and put the go ahead run in scoring position. After going behind in the count 0-2, the Flames cleanup hitter hit a weaker chopper to second that he was able to beat out as both runners moved up to even the game at 4-4. Lee would take the lead a few pitches later as a weakly hit ball into right gave the Flames a 5-4 lead as LaRoche's day was done. Both runners advanced to second and third with one out on a wild pitch as the Flames looked to grow their lead. A walk from Keaton Fuller would load the bases with one away still. Fuller would come back with a strikeout as the bases remained juiced with two down. Fuller would sit down the final batter in the top of the fifth on the high heat as he came in and allowed no further damage. DJ Banks met the new Lee arm in the bottom of the fifth with a six pitch walk. Banks would swipe second until Canegitta drew a full count walk with no one out. After going up 1-0 in the count, Pena tallied his third hit of the game with a liner into left as Banks crossed home to even things at 5-5 with Canegitta and Pena advancing to second and third on the throw. Stowe followed suit with a slicing double in right to bring home two more as VSU took a 7-5 lead.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Flames took a run back as JJ Williams hit his second home run of the afternoon on a solo shot into right as Lee still trailed 7-6. With two down, Lee catcher Isaiah French doubled into right center to move the tying run into scoring position. The Flames would tie things up with a line drive back up the gut as Lee came up clutch. Head coach Jan Weisberg elected to go with his closer Ryan Brown to try and finish the inning. Two pitches later, Malachi hit a deep fly ball into left center that was tracked down by Farid Eljaiek in center as the game was all square yet again heading to bottom of the sixth. After Tim Gooden retired the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth, Moreno singled to center to try and put pressure on the righty. Moreno was then caught stealing as the score sat at 7-7 heading to the potential final inning.
 
After forcing a flyout for the first out, the Flames rallied with a hit and walk to put the go ahead run in scoring position. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners over for the second out. The very next pitch, JJ Williams flied out to right as Ryan Brown escaped the top of the seventh with no harm done. After a seven pitch battle, Banks blooped a ball into left to put the winning run on base with no one gone. Canegitta followed suit with a blooper of his own as there were still no one out. With big slugger Orlando Pena stepping up, the southpaw was able to get him to roll over on a ball to third as the third baseman tagged the base but short armed the throw as Jovanni was hustling around the bases the whole want and touched home well before the throw as VSU walked off for the second time this season in an 8-7 dub.
 
The Blazers hit the road next week as they travel to Georgia Southwestern on Tuesday April 15 at 6 p.m. before heading to Memphis, Tenn. for a weekend series with the Christian Brothers Buccaneers.