VALDOSTA —
Valdosta State pounded out 16 hits and defeated Christian Brothers 11-2 in Gulf South Conference baseball action on Sunday afternoon at Billy Grant Field.
With the win, Valdosta State improved to 13-7 overall and 5-1 in GSC play. Christian Brothers fell to 6-17 and 0-9 in league action.
The Blazers and the Buccaneers were held scoreless in the first three innings. But then Valdosta State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. With one out in the fourth, Christian Glisson singled to right and moved to third on Cameron Graves’ single to left-center. Ryan Noelte hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Glisson with the first run of the game. Bryant Hayman followed with a double to left that plated Graves to give the Blazers a 2-0 lead.
The Blazers added a two-out run in the fifth to push their lead to 3-0. Marc Overstreet started the inning with a single to right and Chaz Bagwell walked. Glisson followed with a single to right to plate Overstreet with the game’s third run.
Christian Brothers scored a run to cut its deficit to 3-1 in the sixth inning. Will Wilson drew a lead-off walk, was sacrificed to second by Cody Warren and scored on Mac Cooley’s two-out single to right.
Valdosta State scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a run-scoring single by Lawrence and an RBI ground out by Steven Groves, increasing the Blazers’ lead to 5-1.
Wilson delivered a run-scoring double for CBU in the seventh. The Blazers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh on Brent Nelson’s run-scoring single, making it 6-2.
Then Valdosta State broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth, scoring five unearned runs. Buster Jackson reached on an error to start the inning. Overstreet doubled down the left field line, putting runners on second and third. One out later, Glisson was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Nelson hit a fly ball to left, and Jackson tagged up and scored. Christian Brothers pitcher Jon-Michael Davis was called for a balk, moving Overstreet and Glisson up to third and second, respectively, and both runners scored when Noelte singled through the right side, increasing VSU’s lead to 9-2.
Then Bryant Hayman stepped up to the plate and launched a two-run home run to right center, giving the Blazers an 11-2 lead.
Noelte finished the day 3 for 3 with two runs scored and three runs batted in to lead Valdosta State offensively. Glisson was 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI. Hayman went 2 for 5 and drove in three runs. Graves and Overstreet finished with two hits apiece.
VSU pitcher Pete Whittingslow pitched five shutout innings, allowed just two hits and walked two while striking out six. Whittingslow improved to 2-1 on the season, and his ERA dropped to 0.89.
Valdosta State returns to action on Wednesday, when it travels to Thomasville to take on Thomas University at 5 p.m.
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Chaz Bagwell and the Valdosta State Blazers completed a three-game sweep of Christian Brothers with an 11-2 win on Sunday. Ed Hooper | The Valdosta Daily Times
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Blazers complete 3-game sweep with 11-2 win over Bucs
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