Christian Malone
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State’s softball team split a doubleheader against Gulf South Conference rival West Alabama on Saturday at the VSU Softball Complex.
The Lady Blazers, the No. 3 team in Division II, dominated game 1. They scored eight runs in the first two innings, and won 8-0 in a game that lasted just five innings. But in the second game, West Alabama ace Katie Ford pitched a two-hit shutout, and led the Lady Tigers to a 4-0 win.
Valdosta State is now 15-3 this season and 3-3 in the Gulf South Conference. West Alabama is 21-9 and 2-2 in the GSC.
In game 1, the Lady Blazers quickly jumped on West Alabama, scoring four runs in the first inning. Amber Shaw led off the bottom of the first with a walk, stole second and was sacrificed to third by April Hutchens. Marti Littlefield walked, putting runners on the corners with one out. Alyssa Shirey singled up the middle, scoring Shaw. Then Stephanie Carlson blasted a three-run homer, giving the Lady Blazers a 4-0 lead.
Valdosta State added four more runs in the second. Melessa Jackson hit a solo home run, making it 5-0. One out later, Hutchens and Littlefield walked. Shirey singled up the middle, scoring Hutchens, then Carlson singled to right field, bringing home Littlefield. Shirey scored on an error, giving VSU an 8-0 lead.
“We played good the first game. We swung the bat well,” Valdosta State head coach Thomas Macera said. “(Our hitters) just made good adjustments, and they hit well.”
The game ended after five innings, due to the mercy rule.
Valdosta State’s Holly Satterfield pitched a three-hit shutout. She struck out six batters, and improved to 8-1 this season.
“She threw good,” Macera said. “She didn’t give anything up. She kept the ball down, and didn’t give them a chance to score.”
At the plate, Carlson went 3 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs. Shirey was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs.
In game 2, West Alabama sent Ford (15-3) to the circle, and she handcuffed the VSU hitters all game. She gave up just two hits and struck out six.
“The second game, we just didn’t adjust,” Macera said. “She’s a curveball pitcher, and we were chasing pitches that were off the plate. We’ve got to make better adjustments ... We had two hits. We hit one ball the entire game hard.”
West Alabama took the lead with two runs in the third. With one out, Angela Smith hit a ground ball towards the hole. Littlefield’s throw to first beat the runner, but Smith was called safe. Then Anna Shartzer, the Lady Tigers’ leading hitter, came to the plate and hit a two-run homer, giving West Alabama a 2-0 lead.
VSU’s best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth. Carlson led off the inning with a double to left, and was sacrificed to third by Colette Rollins. But the Lady Blazers couldn’t get Carlson home. Ford struck out the next hitter, then got an inning-ending ground out.
West Alabama added two more runs in the top of the sixth. Stephanie Beahn reached on an error to start the inning. One out later, Jessica Powell lined a double into the gap in right center. Beahn scored from first, making it 3-0. Powell took third on the throw home, and scored when Lauren Mills singled through a drawn-in infield, giving the Lady Tigers a 4-0 lead.
Margaret Carter (7-2) took the loss for VSU. She pitched a complete game, and allowed eight hits and three earned runs, while striking out six.
The Lady Blazers return to the VSU Softball Complex today for another GSC doubleheader, facing North Alabama at 1 p.m.
