VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team dropped a 12-2 decision to visiting Georgia Southwestern Tuesday evening at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park. VSU fell to 24-18 overall, while GSW improved to 17-27.
A walk, double and RBI single from Jonathan Martin gave GSW a 1-0 lead with nobody out in the first inning. A wild pitch plated the second run of the inning for a 2-0 lead for the Hurricanes. VSU made a move to the bullpen as junior Alex Tyson relieved junior starter Ethan Koehler with runners at the corners and one out. Following the change, VSU turned a 643 double play to get out of the inning.
A leadoff single from senior Matt Hathcock, along with a walk and two stolen bases put the Blazers in business in the bottom of the first with one out. Senior DJ King hit a comebacker for an infield single and a RBI, plating Hathcock for a 2-1 score.
GSW loaded the bases in the top of the second and an infield single Tyler Skelton swelled the lead to 3-1 with one out. Jonathan Martin hit a two RBI double to right field for a 5-1 lead. VSU then brought in freshman Heston Mosley as the third pitcher of the game for the Blazers. Mosley got a strikeout and a fly out to right field to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, two singles and a walk loaded the bases for VSU with one out. Sophomore Seth Caballes hit a sacrifice fly for a 5-2 score. That'd be all VSU would get in the frame, stranding two and five for the game.
The Canes loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fifth, helped out by a throwing error by the Blazers for the second miscue of the game. Matthew Mamatas singled home two runs through the left side for a 7-2 lead. A walk loaded the bases as VSU made a move to the bullpen in favor of junior Cooper Cain. A fielder's choice RBI made the score 8-2 and a sacrifice fly made the score 9-2. The third miscue by the Blazers plated a run and brought the tenth man to the plate in the inning for a 10-2 score.
In the top of the sixth, Bradley Hough hit a two run home run for a 12-2 lead with nobody out. Prior to the bottom of the seventh, GSW went to a new pitcher in Morgan Bell as Matthew Snider (1-2) went six innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, walked two and fanned four in a strong outing.
The loss snapped VSU's five-game winning streak as the Blazers had two runs on five hits with three errors, while GSW had 12 runs on nine hits with one error.
Five different Blazers had one hit each, while VSU used eight pitchers in the game as Koehler (1-1) went 0.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits with one walk to take the loss. Three different Hurricane batters had two hits each as Martin was 2 for 5 with three RBI and Brough was 1 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBI, including the home run.
VSU returns to Gulf South Conference play this weekend at Shorter with a Friday-Saturday series as Chris Caray will have the call of the games on 92.1 WDDQ FM.
