VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State baseball team (13-24, 10-14 Gulf South Conference) won both legs of Saturday's doubleheader against Auburn Montgomery (9-27, 5-18 GSC), taking game one 13-3 before rallying for an 8-5 win in game two to win the series.
Game One - Valdosta State 13, Auburn Montgomery 3
The Blazers jumped out early and never looked back, scoring four runs in the first inning on the way to a 13-3 win in the opener.
Valdosta State added five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth on their way to the wire-to-wire victory.
Junior Charlie Banks led the offensive onslaught with a 2-for-3 performance, driving in four runs and scoring three times, while senior Brent Howard added two hits and three runs scored. Juniors Luke Flading and Jason Mack each drove in multiple runs as the Blazers found different ways to score throughout the game. VSU reached base 15 times with nine hits and six walks in the win.
Junior Jack Butler went the distance on the mound, allowing three runs, only one earned run, over 7.0 innings while striking out three to earn the mercy-rule victory.
Game Two - Valdosta State 8, Auburn Montgomery 5
The Blazers rallied late to earn a come-from-behind win with six runs in the seventh inning to erase a 5-2 deficit and secure an electric 8-5 victory.
After being held to just two runs through the first six innings, the Blazers broke through in the final frame. The team plated six runs, highlighted by an electric go-ahead grand slam from Brent Howard that sent Billy Grant Field into a commotion.
Senior Marcos Sevillano put together a stellar 2-for-3 performance and two runs scored, while Howard drove in four runs to win it for his team on his lone hit of the game.
Graduate Trey Jackson got the start, allowing two runs over 4.0 innings, while junior Garrett Moody worked in relief to keep the game within reach. Junior Hunter Ward recorded the final out and would go on to earn the win.
Looking Forward
The Valdosta State baseball team will be back in action this Tuesday when they travel to Tampa, Fla. to take on the nation's No. 2 ranked Tampa Spartans (28-5). The teams met previously this season in April at Billy Grant Field, where the Spartans left with a 14-6 win.
Find live stats, written coverage, streaming links, and more on vstateblazers.com and follow @VState_Blazers as well as @VState_Baseball to stay up to date with the team throughout the season.
