Valdosta State loses against Delta State in finale

Published 4:39 pm Monday, April 24, 2017

The Valdosta State softball team suffered a heartbreaking 8-7 extra inning loss in the final game of its three-game series against the Delta State Statesmen in Gulf South Conference action Monday in Cleveland, Miss.

Valdosta State posted a big inning and jumped out in front during the second, when the Blazers used a Tana McDaniel leadoff double to spark a five-run inning that included three hits and two Delta State errors. Both Lacey Crandall and Chelsea Canara delivered RBI base hits in the inning, which helped put VSU in front 5-0.

Delta State fired back and cut the deficit to 5-3 when Colben Patin slugged a three-run homer in the bottom half of the second, and the Statesmen tied the game up later in the game with back-to-back single run innings in both the fourth and fifth.

Blazer starter Avery Lamb slowed the Delta State offense for the next four innings, which allowed Valdosta State to send the game to extra innings and reclaim a 7-5 lead in the top of 10th with a two-run shot off the bat of McDaniel, who finished the day with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. DSU refused to fold, however, and with the help of the international tie breaker rule, the Statesmen used three hits and one Blazer error to plate three runs and score the walk-off win for the series sweep.

With the loss, Valdosta State fell to 33-16 on the season and dropped to 18-12 in conference play, while DSU improved to 21-22 overall and lifted its conference record to 14-16.

The Blazers now turn their attention to senior weekend where VSU welcomes North Alabama to Valdosta for the final series of the regular season. The three-game set will open up Saturday at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park at 2 p.m.