Blazer softball returns home against Statesmen

Published 6:25 pm Friday, February 23, 2018

VALDOSTA — Following a 2-1 start to Gulf South Conference play in the the conference’s opening weekend festival, No. 20 Valdosta State returns home to Steel’s Diamond at Blazer’s Park this weekend for a three-game series against GSC rival Delta State.

First pitch for Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m. The third game is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts defensive back, and Valdosta State football standout, Kenny Moore will deliver the first pitch in the series.

VSU (12-3, 2-1) won games against Christian Brothers and Mississippi College last weekend in Montgomery, Ala., and dropped a contest against North Alabama.

The Blazers are looking to settle the score against the Statesmen after being swept a season ago, and get off to a strong start in the competitive GSC.

“Last year we went 0-3 against Delta State on the road, and it was tough,” said VSU head coach Thomas Macera. “Last weekend we opened up 2-1 playing three really good teams. It’s just an opportunity to keep getting better. We’re a young team, and these girls understand more of how important these conference games are now.

“Everybody in our conference is just stacked. Softball is just ridiculous in our conference, how good everybody is. They just know we’ve got to play our ‘A’ game against any team, any weekend. There’s no easy inning in our conference.”

The Blazers have scored two or fewer runs in each of their three losses; they average more than seven runs per game in their 12 wins.

Fortunately for Valdosta State, games in which its lineup scores two or fewer runs is likely to be rare occurrences. Under head coach Thomas Macera, the Blazers have routinely produced some of the top offenses in the country, and this year should be no different.

Paced by Taylor Hartenbach’s five home runs, VSU has already sent 15 balls over the fence this season. In total, the Blazers have produced 43 extra-base hits while hitting .304 as a team with 60 walks.

But even with a top-notch offense, there will be certain games in which the Blazers will have to scratch out enough runs to beat some of the pitching staffs they’ll face.

“We’ve only scored four runs in those games we lost, and it also attests to how’d the pitching is in our South Region,” Macera said. “The South Region, it’s brutal every time you go out.

“Everybody has a really good pitcher, and some days, you’re not going to crush somebody. You try to manufacture one or two runs and hope you don’t give up but one less than you got.”

Delta State (8-7, 2-1) has a pitching staff that can provide a quality early-season test for VSU. The Statesmen are led by starters Taylor Johnson and Nicole Fullilove, who have a combined ERA of 2.16 over 58.1 innings, despite issuing 23 walks to 33 strikeouts between the two.

Preseason All-GSC team member Mari Alex Sandridge has actually been the best Statesman as far as limiting hits, holding opposing batters to a .226 average over 26 innings despite a 3.81 ERA.

The Blazers will counter with a staff featuring sophomores Kathryn Carter and Avery Lamb.

Carter is 4-1 for VSU with a 2.53 ERA over 44.1 innings. She’s gone the distance in three of her eight starts.

Lamb has crafted a 1.68 over 25 innings spanning nine appearances, including three starts. She’s struck out 17 batters to just six walks, and opponents are hitting just .232 against her.

If the Blazers can score a few runs against the Statesmen in the early frames, it could help give VSU’s pitching staff an advantage in the matchup.

“That’s where the pressure comes in our game, when you’ve got two pitchers battling it out,” Macera said. “If you can score a couple of runs, it takes a lot of pressure off that kid. Then that pitcher is pitching loose instead of worrying about one hit beating her.

“It makes it a lot easier for her, and she just has a better outing.”

Derrick Davis is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.