Shane Thomas | The Valdosta Daily TimesValdosta State pitcher Kasie Johnson gets congratulated by teammates on her way to the dugout during Game 2 of a Gulf South Conference doubleheader against Mississippi College at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park on Saturday afternoon.

VALDOSTA –– Despite storming back from a five-run deficit, the Valdosta State Blazers (28-10, 14-5 Gulf South Conference) fell 10-9 in Game 2 to the Mississippi College Choctaws (22-13, 13-8 GSC) to split in Saturday’s softball doubleheader.

A two-run homer by Choctaws’ catcher Carly Crawford in the top of the fifth inning gave the Choctaws a 7-2 lead. For the Choctaws, it was their second long ball of the game. For the Blazers, the shot exposed their pitching struggles. Blazers coach Thomas Macera pulled Game 2 starter Kathryn Carter after 4 2/3 innings. Carter, whose ERA ballooned to 4.66, struck out four but gave up eight hits, seven earned runs and two walks. Macera opted for sophomore Kasie Johnson out of the bullpen.

“We started (Kathryn Carter) and had to pull Kat out,” Macera said. “We were already down there. Then, we think we’re doing better (with Johnson) and pitching just couldn’t hold us in the game.”

The Blazers cut into the Choctaws’ lead in the bottom of the fifth as Brandy Morgan singled up the middle for an RBI as Chelsea Canara scored to make it a 7-3 game. Soon after, facing a 3-2 count, Haley Garrett smacked a line drive sharply toward Choctaws’ starter Jordan Holifield. The liner was too hot to handle and Holifield’s throw to first was too high for Buckley, leading to two more runs crossing for the Blazers to draw within two runs of the Choctaws, 7-5.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Blazers clawed back to draw even at seven with the Choctaws when Taylor Hartenbach doubled to center field to score Jessica Mohl and Tara McIntyre.

Johnson ran into trouble in the 10th as she walked Katherine Lee, Kristen Qualls and Makenzie Nieto to load the bases. Crawford singled down the left field line to bring in two runs to give the Choctaws a 9-7 lead in the top of the tenth. Macera went to Hayley Fowler to stop the bleeding. Fowler was able to get out of the top of the 10th without the Choctaws doing more damage.

With Lacey Crandall and Mohl on base, Canara came up with a big RBI double to center to knot the game at nine in the bottom of the 10th.

In the 11th, the Choctaws reclaimed the lead with an RBI single from Lee to bring in Harmon to make it 10-9. Holifield capped off her complete game performance by getting Morgan and Fowler to fly out to clinch the win.

Mohl, who is batting .471 this season, went 3-for-6 in Game 2 with two RBIs and two runs, Tana McDaniel went 3-for-5 while scoring two runs and Canara batted 2-for-6 with two RBIs in the loss.

The Blazers overcame a late surge from the Choctaws to hold on for an 8-7 win in Game 1.

An offensive explosion by the Blazers in the second inning was pivotal. A walk by Garrett set up a sacrifice bunt by catcher Crandall to get Garrett to second. Leadoff hitter Mohl singled up the middle to bring in Garrett. The run was the first of five runs for the Blazers in the second. A single by McIntyre led to a pitching change for the Choctaws as starter Adrianna Morgan was pulled and replaced by freshman pitcher Marley Peagler. Mohl promptly scored setting up Hayley Cruthers to knock in an RBI double to score McIntyre to give the Blazers a 4-0 lead. Overall, the Blazers picked up the five runs on four hits to take a 6-0 lead heading into the third.

Blazers starting pitcher Avery Lamb got the Choctaws to go 1-2-3 at the top of the third inning. Peagler walked Garrett to start the bottom of the inning. Peagler got Crandall and Mohl to fly out to get two quick outs but an RBI double by McIntyre to score Garrett to put the Blazers up 7-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, Choctaws’ catcher Crawford drilled a two-run home run to make it 7-2. Taylor Hartenbach connected on a single in the bottom of the fourth to get on base before a Brandy Morgan RBI double put the Blazers ahead 8-2.

The Choctaws fought back in the fifth as center fielder Katherine Lee scored on an RBI single by third baseman Qualls and an RBI by Nieto scored Tylan Buckley to inch the Choctaws to make it an 8-4 game.

Things got interesting for the Blazers in the seventh as they looked to put the Choctaws away. Haley Thompson singled to right field followed by Lee reaching on a fielder’s choice. Though Thompson was later thrown out at second, Buckley singled to left field and Qualls’ RBI allowed Lee to score to make it an 8-5 ball game.

Shelby Miller came on to pinch run for Qualls before a ground out by Nieto moved Miller and Buckley to second and third respectively. Crawford capped her 4-for-4 afternoon with a two RBI single to center field to bring home Miller and Buckley to cut the Blazers’ lead down to a single run at 8-7. With two outs recorded, Lamb was able to get the Choctaws’ Alexia Harmon to ground out to end the game.

Lamb improved to 12-2 and pitched a complete game on Saturday. Lamb struck out four batters and walked no one, but gave up 15 hits and seven earned runs in the victory.

Hartenbach went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Blazers, McIntyre finished 2-for-4 with two runs and Morgan went 1-for-2 recorded three RBIs in the win.

“We’re swinging the bat good,” Macera said. “We score nine runs (in Game 2) and lose. You can’t ask much more of the offense –– they had a good day. To have a chance (today), again, our pitching has to show up. If our pitching doesn’t show up, we can’t do anything. It’s as simple as that –– this game is about pitching.”