VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State softball team dropped a doubleheader on Tuesday to visiting Embry-Riddle with the Eagles winning the opener 2-1 and blanking the Blazers in the nightcap, 3-0. VSU fell to 23-17 overall, while ERAU improved to 22-16. Both games saw outstanding outings in the circle by all four pitchers.
EMBRY-RIDDLE 2, VALDOSTA STATE 1 (GAME ONE)
Blazer graduate student pitcher
Claire Maulding retired all nine batters the first time through the lineup, but a walk and a single began the top of the fourth for the Eagles. Katriana Bain singled to left and advanced to second on the throw plating the first run of the game with one out. Delaney Morgan used the squeeze play but and scored the second run of the frame for a 2-0 lead for ERAU.
VSU put two on with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but a fielder's choice followed for the second out and a liner to third base ended the threat. Sophomore
Toree Wofford began the bottom of the fifth with a single to right and then senior
Brandie Seber hit a great bunt and an error on ERAU put a runner at third with nobody out. A caught stealing plated a run for VSU and a 2-1 deficit.
The Blazers had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh at ERAU starting pitcher Ava Domenici retired the first batter and junior
Jayme Prandine singled the center for the tying run at first. Domenici retired the next batter for two out. On a 3-2 count to Seber, Domenici's pitch was high for a walk and two on base with the top of the order. A pop up to first base ended the game.
Maulding (18-9) went all seven innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs in the fourth inning with one walk and seven strikeouts. Domenici (8-4) allowed four hits, one unearned run, walked four and fanned four.
It marked the fourth-straight game decided by one run for VSU (1-3) and VSU now is 6-5 in one run games this season.
EMBRY-RIDDLE 3, VALDOSTA STATE 0 (GAME TWO)
In another pitcher's duel, ERAU capitalized on an error in the fourth as Leah Oberkehr reached on the miscue and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. She then scored on a sacrifice fly from Emma Wood for a 1-0 score.
VSU used a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second and a hit batter put two on with two out. ERAU pitcher Shelby Morse came up with a strikeout to end the threat as neither team had a hit through four innings.
ERAU had the first hit of the game in the fifth as Katriana Bain singled to left and moved to third and then, with two out, Kelsey Kressler doubled down the right field line, plating the second run of the game for a 2-0 lead.
The first hit of the game for VSU from junior
Rachael Lee, a sacrifice bunt and a ground out moved Lee to third with two out in the bottom of the fifth. Morse got a foul out to end the threat as VSU left three stranded to that point.
Blazer senior pitcher
Savannah Barfield threw a five-pitch sixth inning getting the Blazer bats back to the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately, VSU went three-up-three down for the fourth time in the game.
In the seventh, a double from Bain and a wild pitch along with a strikeout got Barfield two out, but, on a 1-2 count, the third Blazer error plated Bain for a 3-0 score. Morse retired the Blazers in order to end the game in the seventh.
Morse (7-5) went seven innings for the Eagles, allowing one hit with one walk and one strikeout, while Barfield (2-5) went seven innings, allowing three hits, three runs – one earned, walked none and fanned two.
The Blazers continue at home on Friday for a single game beginning at 5 p.m. versus Lee, followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., against the Flames.
