VALDOSTA —
For the first time in 2012, the Valdosta State softball team will play at home.
The Blazers (7-2) will host Georgia Southwestern in a doubleheader today at 2 p.m.
“We are glad to be home, finally,” Valdosta State head coach Thomas Macera said. “It is tough being on the road a lot, so anytime you get a home game it’s good because the crowd is big here.”
Valdosta State started the season back on Feb. 4 in Pensacola, Fla. After nine days off, the Blazers blasted Albany State, scoring 31 runs in two games, on Feb. 15. Last weekend, the Blazers posted a 2-1 record while playing games down in Florida.
“We’ve seen a lot of good stuff, but seen some stuff that we still need to approve on,” Macera said. “I don’t think we have arrived yet. I think we have played some really good ball because we have played some really good teams.”
Through the first nine games of the season, true freshman Courtney Albritton has shined. The outfielder, who passed up offers from large Division I schools — like Georgia — to attend VSU, leads the team with a .452 batting average, 14 hits, four doubles, two home runs (tied with Morgan Johnson), 26 total bases and an .839 slugging percentage.
“It is always awesome when you can get a freshman to come in and contribute, especially at a high-level that we play at,” Macera said. “It is definitely a blessing to have her here.”
Albritton is also second on the team in runs batted in, trailing senior shortstop Marti Littlefield by three, as Littlefield has 12 on the season. Albritton’s dominance didn’t take long to notice, as she hit for the cycle in just her fourth career game.
“I don’t think I have ever done it, period,” Albritton said about hitting for the cycle.
“I just knew that VSU was a good competitive D-II school and I could possibly play my freshman year, because I didn’t want to sit out and not play.”
The versatile Albritton is also playing stout defense, as she has yet to commit an error in center field, while assisting on two double plays.
“(Albritton) is a phenomenal player,” Macera said. “She has made some phenomenal plays. She is hitting great and her defense is unbelievable.”
With the loss of all three starting pitchers from 2011, the Blazers have turned to Alanna Hadley and Courtney Gunby this season. The duo has combined for a 6-1 record in the circle, while Julia Fink and Brianna Hancock are providing relief out of the bullpen. Fink, a senior, has yet to surrender a run, while Hancock has a team-high 2.33 earned run average, allowing two earned runs in six innings of work.
“We have good pitching,” Macera said. “That is one thing that we are really trying to focus on right now, is just improving our pitching a little bit and getting some better outings from our pitchers.”
Valdosta State is finally back healthy after starting the season without third baseman Samantha Posey, who was sidelined with a hurt foot. Her four games away from the team clearly didn’t affect her, as the senior from Leesburg has recorded a .450 batting average with six RBI.
In Posey’s absence, newcomer Erika Trojan filled in at third base. Trojan has since moved to the designated player position.
“We have Sam back, but Erika Trojan did a great job,” Macera said. “She didn’t have any errors and she made some big plays while Sam was out. But it is great to have Sam back because she is a great stick. It definitely helps us, it gives us one more option.”
Following today’s games with Georgia Southwestern, the Blazers will enjoy another break as they don’t return to action until March 6.
when they host UNC-Pembroke.
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Valdosta State outfielder Courtney Albritton makes contact with a ball during batting practice on Tuesday. Albritton leads the team in nearly every offensive category so far this season. The Blazers open their home schedule today. Ed Hooper
Discussion
Blazer softball opens home schedule today
- Local Sports
-
-
Comeback falls short
A five-run seventh inning wasn’t enough to carry the Valdosta State Blazers past reigning national champion UC-San Diego on Day One of the NCAA Softball Championship Tournament in Louisville.
-
Four Blazers garner All-America honors
Just before the Valdosta State softball team loaded onto the team bus to head to Bellarmine University for its Day 1 matchup with the University of California-San Diego, three Blazers were informed they were All-Americans.
-
Title quest begins today
The only thing standing in the way of Valdosta State’s quest for claiming a first-ever softball national championship is four games.
The Blazers (52-4) will play the first of those games today at 12:30 p.m. in Louisville, the site of this year’s National Championship Tournament and the site of the Division II Spring Sports Festival. -
Vikings wrap up spring football practice
The Lowndes football team wrapped up spring practice with its annual spring game on Tuesday at Martin Stadium.
It was an informal game. No score was kept, and the clock was turned off. The offensive and defensive units rotated on each series — with the varsity and junior varsity squads each getting plenty of snaps — and nearly every player participating in spring practice got to play. Lowndes used six different quarterbacks (two with the varsity offense), and 18 different players got to carry the ball. Ten players caught at least one pass. -
Lowndes’ LaRenick Rollins heading to Brewton-Parker
On Monday, Lowndes High’s LaRenick Rollins signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Brewton-Parker College next year.
Rollins looks forward to the opportunity to wrestle in college.
“Very excited,” he said. “(Signing) was just one step closer to going to college. I’m so happy.” -
Lowndes Middle coach suffers burns in accident
Ed Mitchell, a coach at Lowndes Middle School, suffered second- and third-degree burns in a cooking accident at his house on Saturday.
Mitchell was airlifted to a burn center in Augusta on Saturday night, and had surgery on Sunday morning. -
Column: ‘All eyes forward’ while learning from the past
Following his team’s 2-0 win over Florida Southern on Saturday, which clinched the South Super Regional Championship, Valdosta State head softball coach Thomas Macera was asked if his team will look back at the 2010 national tournament as a reference moving forward to this year’s national tournament.
-
South Region champions!
For the second consecutive day, Natalia Morozova was the hero for the Valdosta State softball team.
On Friday night, Morozova’s RBI double in the 16th inning carried the Blazers past the Florida Southern Moccasins. On Saturday, it was Morozova’s two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning that carried the Blazers to a 2-0 win and a trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. -
Lowndes tennis team falls in semifinals
Lowndes’ girls tennis team fell 3-0 to Roswell in the Class AAAAA state semifinals on Saturday at the Clayton County International Park.
-
Blazers win South Region, advance to national tournament
The Valdosta State softball team is headed back to the national tournament. The top-ranked Blazers advanced to their second National Championship Tournament in three years Saturday behind a 2-0 win over Florida Southern in game 2 of the South Super Regional Tournament.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
