VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State softball team struggled hitting in a 3-0 loss to West Florida Friday afternoon in the first game of a three-game series for Senior Weekend. UWF hit two home runs and used a sacrifice fly for the victory.
The Blazers fell to 25-22 overall and 18-12 in Gulf South Conference play, while UWF improved to 32-14 overall and 21-10 in league play. The teams will conclude the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. for Senior Day as VSU will honor four seniors playing in their final regular season home games in a Blazer uniform. The 2025 Senior Class includes;
Aniston Gano,
Madison Lumpp,
Claire Maulding and
Brandie Seber. VSU athletics wishes each of these seniors the best in their future endeavors.
Prior to Friday evening's game which was the Pink Game to Strikeout Cancer, VSU had a raffle and sold t-shirts with all proceeds going to former Blazer great Marti Littlefield for her battle with breast cancer for "Fight Like Five." Littlefield had an outstanding career for the red and black earning multiple All-America honors and was a member of the 2012 national championship team. In addition, former Blazer Amy Redding, who was a member of the 2010 national runner-up team, threw out the first pitch as she also battled breast cancer.
With two out in the top of the first, UWF's Erin Moon hit a solo home run to right field for a 1-0 lead for the Argos. It was Moon's second home run of the season. In the top of the second, Hanna Harper hit a solo home run to almost the exact same spot Moon did to begin the frame for a 2-0 lead. A double and a sacrifice bunt moved a runner to third, but a suicide squeeze didn't work as VSU gunned the runner down at the plate for the second out and Maulding got out of the jam as she retired the next nine-straight.
From there, the game became a pitcher's duel as the score remained 2-0 through five innings. Gianna Guerriero tallied the first hit for the Argos on a bunt single to begin the top of the sixth. She then stole second. A sacrifice bunt moved her to third with one out and a sacrifice fly from Moon made the score 3-0.
Junior
Jayme Prandine began the bottom of the sixth with a single up the middle for the first lead off hit of the game for the Blazers. Gano drew a two out walk to bring the potential tying run to the plate. UWF shortstop Kyndal Cornelius made a long run in foul territory to track down the third out as VSU stranded two.
UWF pitcher Haley Guffey retired the first batter of the seventh, but senior Carly singled to left with one out. Guffey came back with a pop out and a strikeout ended the game.
Maulding fell to 19-13 on the year, allowing four hits, three earned runs and struck out two with no walks, while Guffey improved to 21-7, posting a four-hit shutout with one walk and one strikeout. No player had more than one hit in the contest. Moon finished 1 for 2 with a run scored, a home run and two RBI.
