VALDOSTA —
The Valdosta State baseball team was handed a third-straight loss Wednesday night, as the Blazers fell to in-state foe Albany State, 7-3.
The Blazers were held in check for much of the night, despite being aided by nine Golden Ram walks. With runners on base, the Blazers were unable to produce enough offense to score runs, leaving 12 runners stranded in the game.
“That has been a problem for us early this year,” Valdosta State head coach Greg Guilliams said. “Certainly, it has been very disappointing. I know it is early, but gosh, you wish you would see a little more offensive production.”
In the first inning, the Blazers left Chaz Bagwell stranded at second base after Bagwell reached base after he was pelted with a pitch. In the bottom of the second inning, it looked apparent the Blazers would get runs after loading the bases with no outs. But, Albany State pitcher Donte Williams recorded back-to-back strikeouts before getting Ryan Noelte to fly out in the infield to end the inning, leaving all three runners stranded.
The Blazers stranded one more runner on base in the fourth inning before stranding two more in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
“Hitting is timing and our timing right now isn’t very good,” Guilliams said.
After the two teams played to a scoreless draw across the opening four innings, the Golden Rams broke the game open with four runs in the top of the fifth inning. After Blazer starting pitcher Spencer Butler surrendered a double to start the inning, Ben Keil took the hill for Valdosta State, surrendering a walk to his first batter.
Keil then delivered back-to-back strikeouts before surrendering a single and a hit-by pitch, which scored the first run of the game for Albany State. The Golden Rams continued to pile it on in the inning, using a Christian Glisson throwing error and a two-run single by Corbin Williams to take a 4-0 lead.
Valdosta State finally got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh inning. Bagwell started the inning with a single, which was followed up by a walk by Glisson. Then, Austin Lawrence delivered an RBI single into right centerfield, brining home Bagwell. Despite the run, the Blazers left Glisson and Lawrence stranded on base.
In the top of eighth inning, Albany State shut the door on the Blazers. The Golden Rams started the inning with three-straight singles, producing one run in the process. After an out, the Golden Rams were back at it, scoring two more runs behind a Stephen Lightfoot single to right centerfield to take a 7-1 lead.
The Blazers went on to strand another runner in the bottom of the eighth inning before securing two runs in the ninth behind a two-run homerun from freshman pinch-hitter Bryant Hayman.
Spencer Butler for Valdosta State allowed one run on three hits in four innings pitched, wile Weil took the loss after allowing two runs two hits in three innings. Following Butler’s dismissal from the game, the Blazer bullpen finished the night allowing six runs on six hits. As a unit, the Blazer pitching staff recorded 12 strikeouts on the night.
“Spencer got through exceptionally well,” Guilliams said. “You know, that is the fourth straight game that we have gotten a good start and our bullpen has just collapsed. That has been very disappointing. Good teams have good bullpens and right now it has really hurt us.”
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Valdosta State’s Spencer Butler (30) delivers a pitch in the second inning of Tuesday night’s game versus Albany State. Butler struck out five batters in four innings of work for the Blazers. Albany State won the game 7-3. Ed Hooper
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Blazers fall to Albany State, 7-3
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