VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State hit five home runs, including three in the eighth inning, in a game one 9-4 victory while Zac Goodno's collected an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two to propel VSU to a 2-1 victory. The Blazers swept No. 9 West Florida in a Gulf South Conference baseball doubleheader at Billy Grant Field Saturday.
Valdosta State (8-3, 3-2) got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first inning. Mike Reed singled to open the inning and then stole second base. After a pair of outs, Hayden Jones walked. Then Kevin Cruz singled through the right-side of the infield driving home Reed for a 1-0 VSU lead.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Blazers added a couple home runs forcing West Florida to pull starter Jarrod Petree. Cruz collected his second RBI of the game as he hit a ball out to left for his third roundtripper of the season. Two batters later, Jayk Graham hit a ball that bounced off the roof of the VSU softball building in left-center field for his first career homer to post VSU to a 3-0 advantage.
VSU added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Michael Gouge doubled home B.J. Harmon, who had singled to open the frame before the West Florida (7-4, 2-3) struck for four runs in the top of the eighth. Chase Kiefer singled to open the eighth and scored as Ledarious Clark doubled. Kellan Bailey relieved VSU starter Mitchell Cody and induced a ground ball, but a throwing error on the play allowed Clark to score and Nic Strasser to reach first. Sean Plunkett followed with his first home run of the game to even the contest at 4-4.
Valdosta State quickly regained the lead as the Blazers hit three home runs in the bottom of the eighth. Gouge the inning with his second home run of the year to put Valdosta State back in front before Jones walked. Cruz followed with his second roundtripper of the game and Goodno singled before Graham also hit his second homer of the game to put VSU in front 9-4.
Cody went 7.0 innings and allowed six hits and two runs while striking out five in a no decision. Bailey surrendered four hits and two runs, one earned, in 2.0 innings to improve to 1-1 on the season. Meanwhile, West Florida's Josh McLaney surrendered the home runs to Gouge and Cruz in the eighth to fall to 0-1.
VSU got on the scoreboard first as well in the second game as B.J. Harmon walked with one out in the bottom of the third and came around to third when Reed singled. A throwing error to third on the play allowed Harmon to come home for a 1-0 VSU lead.
West Florida took advantage of a Blazer error in the fifth inning. Alex Greene doubled to open the frame and scored when Brandon Tyler reached on a two-out error to knot the game at 1-1.
The two teams played scoreless for the next three innings before Jones opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk. After a pop up and sacrifice bunt moved Jones to second, Goodno sent an 0-1 pitch to left field for the winning run.
Blazer game two starter Kyle Andre scattered seven hits and allowed one unearned run in 8.0 innings in a no decision. Jones came in to pitch in the top of the ninth and allowed a hit while improving to 1-0. UWF starter Brandon Nagem matched Andre as he surrendered a run on five hits in 6.1 innings, but reliever Ronnie May allowed the winning run on two hits to fall to 0-1.
***Valdosta Athletics
