By Christian Malone
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State’s softball team advanced on the opening day of their NCAA South Regional, defeating Tampa 5-0 Friday evening at the VSU Softball Complex.
The Lady Blazers scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the second, and Holly Satterfield pitched a one-hit shutout for VSU, which won its school-record 55th game of the season.
Valdosta State (55-6) will face Nova Southeastern at 1:30 p.m. today in a winner’s bracket game. The winner will earn a spot in Sunday’s championship game.
“A first-game win is important,” Satterfield said. “Nobody wants to be in the loser’s bracket, because it’s hard to bounce back from that. It’s good that we won this game.”
Satterfield (21-2) was dominant Friday. The sophomore right-hander struck out seven batters on the day, and only allowed one hit.
“I’m so happy to throw a shutout in a game like this,” Satterfield said. “I was happy with the way I threw.”
Valdosta State gave Satterfield all the support she would need in the second inning. The Lady Blazers took advantage of four Tampa errors and scored five runs.
Alyssa Shirey led off the second inning with a single to left field. Stephanie Carlson laid down a bunt right in front of home plate, and reached first when Tampa catcher Becky Vyzas could not make a clean throw. Becca Aszman sacrificed the runners over to second and third. Brianna Collis reached on an error, loading the bases.
April Hutchens hit a fly ball that was dropped by Tampa right fielder Jessica Tejas. Amber Shaw, running for Shirey, scored on the play. Two batters later, Andi Braswell singled to left-center to score Carlson. Melessa Jackson followed with a single up the middle, and Collis and Hutchens raced home to score, giving the Lady Blazers a 4-0 lead.
The final run of the second inning came on another error. Marti Littlefield reached on first baseman Samantha Becker’s second error of the inning, and Braswell scored to make it 5-0.
“It’s always good to score runs early, and get the lead,” Satterfield said.
Satterfield shut Tampa down the rest of the way.
Tampa starter Deanna Henriott (18-10) allowed only five hits and no earned runs, striking out four, but was hurt by her team’s defensive miscues in the second. Becker had Tampa’s lone hit.
Braswell, Jackson, Shirey, Carlson and Hutchens had VSU’s five hits. Jackson had two RBIs.
In the tournament opener, Nova Southeastern, the sixth seed, upset Florida Southern, the third seed, 2-0 Friday afternoon.
The game was scoreless until the fifth. Nova’s Jessica Hernandez started the fifth inning with a double down the left field line. Brittney Lamb’s bunt turned into a double when the ball got past the drawn-in infield, and Hernandez scored.
In the sixth inning, Nova’s Noemi Luciani singled to left, stole a base and scored on April Donachie’s single to center, making it 2-0.
Florida Southern will play Tampa at 4 p.m. in an elimination game. The winner of that game will face the loser of the Valdosta State-Nova Southeastern game at 6:30 p.m. for a spot in the championship game.
