OXFORD, Ala. – After surrendering three runs in the top of the first on many defensive miscues, Valdosta State starter Hunter Booth dialed it in by tossing six consecutive shutout innings after that en route to a 6-4 VSU victory in the first round of the Gulf South Conference Championship. With the win, Valdosta State advances to the quarterfinals to take on No. 3 seeded West Florida tomorrow afternoon around 2:30 p.m. ET.
 
Booth allowed three runs in the top of first and settled in from there, as he would finish the afternoon with 7.0 innings pitched and only allowed a total of five hits while walking two and punching out four on 106 pitches. With the win, Booth improved to 8-5 on the year and has an ERA of 3.27. Anthony Martens came in in relief in the top of the eighth as he surrendered one hit on ten pitches but allowed nothing else after that. Ryan Brown picked up his eighth save of the year after loaded the bases and allowing a run as he came through in a big way.
 
After being named to the GSC All-Tournament team last season, Hunter Stowe and Jovanni Canegitta looked like they are primed to earn that honor once again this season as the duo each came up clutch as each batter drove in two on single in high-pressure situations in the third and seventh inning to push VSU past Lee.
 
Three Blazers recorded two hit games as Pedro Moreno, Hunter Stowe, and Easton Hood each went 2-4 at the plate while Stowe drove in three. DJ Banks went 1-4 with two runs scored a two stolen bases as he now has ten on the season. After winning GSC Player of the Year earlier in the week, Lee made it clear that they were scared to pitch to Orlando Pena as he drew two walks and scored once.
 
The Blazers will face a familiar foe in the Argonauts of West Florida, as they squared off last weekend in Valdosta with UWF taking two out of three in a high leverage series. Earlier today, West Florida defeated Trevecca Nazarene by a final of 7-5 in the first round.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hunter Booth opened the game with a five pitch walk as JJ Williams reached base. After going ahead 1-2 in the count, Booth surrendered a hard hit single into left by Luke Collier as two were aboard quickly for the Flames. Lee would plate a run as a sacrifice bunt could not be completed as the VSU first baseman threw a ball into right field as it was 1-0 with runners at the corners and no one out. Lee would extend the lead to 2-0 as a wild pitch on a stolen base advanced both runners as there was still no one out. After forcing a popout to first for the first out, Brock Sisson would single to shortstop as the Flames were threatening once again with runners at the corners. Booth would execute a perfect pickoff at first as he would cut down Cisson for the second out. Booth rolled a chopper to second for what looked to be the third out, but it was misplayed as yet another run scored to make it 3-0. Valdosta State would finally get out of the inning on a flyout to center as Booth was already at 31 pitches and trailing 3-0.
 
Pedro Moreno would single off the pitcher glove to open the bottom of the first but was erased a second base for a fielder's choice for the first out. Orlando Pena would run the count full and draw a walk on a pitch inside to move a runner into scoring position with one out. Stowe would lift an easy fly ball to left field for the second out. Following a stolen base from DJ Banks at third, Jovanni Canegitta would hit an easy chopper to third that looked like an easy play but an errant throw from the third baseman allowed Canegitta to reach first and plate Banks as VSU trailed 3-1 through one.
Booth would quickly retire the side in order as he churned through the Flames in 11 pitches including a strikeout as the scored remained at 3-1. Easton Hood opened the bottom of the second with a base hit into left center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and then to third on a groundout with two away. Lee starter Cooper Casteel would escape the threat as he forced a groundout to third as Lee was leading 3-1 through two.
 
DJ Banks opened the bottom of the third with a double into left and stole third for his second stolen base of the game and tenth of the season. Orlando Pena would follow that up with a sharp ground ball to third that was scored as an error as Banks stayed at third. Hunter Stowe jumped on the first pitch he saw and laced a ball into left as Pena advanced to third and Stowe to second with the score sitting at 3-2 and no one out. Jovanni Canegitta would give the Blazers their first lead of the afternoon on a two-RBI single into right center as VSU was now leading 4-3 through three.
 
Both starters dialed in as both retired the sides quickly in the fourth and fifth innings as the game remained at 4-3 through five.  Booth had allowed four hits while Casteel was at seven while each pitcher was approaching the century mark in pitches. Booth retired the first two batters in the top of the sixth with ease until Malachi Cloud doubled into the left field corner to put the tying run in scoring position with two down. Lee's Doughman nuked the first pitch he saw deep into left field that was nearly a home run but was just foul. Booth took advantage of the baseball gods giving him one back as he forced a weak popup from Doughman to Banks at second as the Blazers were leading 4-3 through six.
 
Booth trotted out for the seventh inning and surrendered a leadoff hit to left, but the righty made a heads-up play a few pitches later as he sniffed out the sacrifice bunt and nabbed the lead runner at second for the first out. A few pitches later, Booth rolled a 6-4-3 double play as he let out a yell with the lead still intact. In the bottom half of the seventh, Carson Russell led things off with a single into right as Pedro Moreno was plunked as Lee went to their bullpen. Banks would groundout to first on a full count but not before both runners advanced to second and third with one out. Following an intentional walk to GSC Player of the Year Orlando Pena to load the bases for a potential double play, Hunter Stowe laced a grounder past the diving second baseman into right field to bring home two as Russell and Moreno raced home to make it 6-3 through seven.
 
Anthony Martens entered in relief in the top of the eighth and quickly recorded two outs until Tucker Platt singled up the middle to put pressure on the senior. After getting ahead in the count 1-2, Martens got the final Lee hitter out in front as he lifted a sinking liner into left that was snagged by Canegitta for the last out of the top of the eighth. Easton Hood opened the bottom of the eighth with a hard hit single into left and was pinch ran for by Marcos Sevillano as he was caught in a run down for the first out. Farid Eljaiek would then triple down the right field line as he trotted into third standing up with one away as VSU was looking to add insurance. A suicide squeeze was not executed properly as Russell hit the ball a little too hard with Eljaiek being gunned down at home with Valdosta State leading 6-3 heading to the top of the ninth.
 
VSU closer Ryan Brown looked to earn his eighth save of the season but was immediately greeted by a hard-hit single into left by Lee's Malachi Cloud. Brown would get the first out of the inning on a blooper into center field that was just out of reach for Banks as center fielder Eljaiek made a heads up play to gun down the lead runner at second base for a force play. Brown would then walk the next hitter on four pitches to bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth. Lee elected to bring in a pinch-hitter as Levi Cloud as he squared to bunt but pulled away and was hit as the bases were now loaded with the top of the order coming up. Brown would record the second out of the inning on a dribbler to Pena at third as he touched third and chucked it over to first but was just out of reach for Raynel Ortiz at first as runners were at second and third with two outs as a runner scored on the grounder to make at 6-4.  On a full count with the bases loaded, Ryan Brown gave the Flames all he could handle with a fastball that was swung on and missed as the Blazers came out with a 6-4 win.