VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State softball team returns to Gulf South Conference play this weekend as it travels to Clinton, Mississippi for a three-game series against Mississippi College. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 28 at 3 p.m. ET, followed by the series finale on Sunday, March 29 at 12 p.m. ET.

Valdosta State enters the weekend looking to bounce back after being swept in a three-game road series at Montevallo. The Blazers dropped both games of Friday's doubleheader before falling 6-3 in Saturday's finale, moving to 14-15 overall on the season.

Despite the results, the Blazers showed offensive production throughout the series. In game one of the doubleheader, Valdosta State battled back and forth with Montevallo before ultimately falling 5-4. Saylor McNearney got the scoring started with a solo home run in the third inning, while Cailyn Cooke delivered a two-run home run in the fourth to give VSU a 3-1 lead. Rachel Lee also played a key role, doubling and later scoring, while Charlotte Phillips added multiple hits in the contest.

Valdosta State briefly reclaimed the lead late in the game on a sacrifice fly from Jayme Prandine, but Montevallo answered in the sixth and capitalized on a defensive miscue in the seventh to secure the win.

In game two, the Blazers again jumped out in front, highlighted by a solo home run from Evie Pitts and another two-run blast from Cooke. However, a three-run fourth inning by Montevallo proved to be the difference as VSU fell 4-3. Phillips led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, while Cooke added two RBIs.

The Blazers continued to show early momentum in Saturday's series finale, scoring in each of the first two innings. McNearney sparked the offense with a leadoff single and stolen base before Madison VanAllen drove her in, and Carly Bogart added an RBI double in the second to make it 2-0.

However, Montevallo responded with multiple scoring innings and used timely hitting to pull away for a 6-3 victory. Cooke and VanAllen each recorded two hits in the game, while Bogart added an RBI. In the circle, Giselle Portanova took the loss, with VanAllen and Alyssa Vallad providing relief.

Valdosta State will now look to regroup against a Mississippi College team that enters the weekend with a 19-13-1 record after splitting a midweek doubleheader with Spring Hill.

The Choctaws showed resilience in that series, rallying offensively in game one behind multi-hit performances from Megan Matheis and Shelby Samples before falling 9-7. Mississippi College bounced back in game two with a 3-2 victory, fueled by a strong outing from Reagan Rios in the circle and timely situational hitting.

Offensively, the Choctaws have relied on consistent production from Matheis and Samples, while Ashlyn Rodgers has provided speed on the basepaths, scoring multiple runs and creating opportunities.

With both teams looking to gain momentum in conference play, the weekend series presents an important opportunity for Valdosta State to get back on track. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. ET, with the series concluding Sunday at 12 p.m. ET