After struggling with late-game surges much of the season, the Valdosta State Blazers (10-15) did some late-game scoring of their own to earn a split against the Auburn Montgomery Warhawks (11-12) with a 5-2 win in doubleheader action on Friday.

In the top of the sixth, Andy Haughton drew a walk from the Warhawks to bring Elias Macias to the plate. Macias delivered with an RBI double down the right field line that brought Haughton in to extend the Blazer lead to 4-2.

On the next at-bat, Macias came home when Blake Seeley came up with an RBI double for the final margin.

Cooper Cain (2-1) got the start for the Blazers and recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in six innings of work. The sophomore’s previous high for strikeouts was nine, which he set in a loss to Flagler on March 7.

Dalton Murray delivered a perfect 3-for-3 effort at the plate for the Blazers, including a triple and a stolen base. Murray also had a team-best three RBIs.

Seeley finished 2-for-3 in the win while Nick Koslowski went 2-for-4 as the Blazers finished with 11 hits––their 11th double-digit hit game of the season.

AMU 6

VSU 4

The Warhawks scored four of their six runs in the eighth inning as they edged the Blazers 6-4 in the opener.

With the score tied at 2 in bottom of the eighth inning, the Warhawks’ Jonathan Brandt led off with a home run off the Blazers’ Logan Dubbe to put Auburn Montgomery in front 3-2.

Hunter Hillyer smacked a single through the left side off Dubbe, who then hit Curtiss Johnson with a pitch before Blazers coach Greg Guilliams pulled him in favor of reliever Logan Elliot.

The pitching change did little to thwart the Warhawks’ momentum however, as Elliot found himself with two men on and one out when catcher Parker Moman belted a three-run homer to make it a 6-2 lead for the Warhawks.

With a chance to rally in the top of the ninth, the Blazers got a spark from Elias Macias, who doubled to start the inning. After pinch hitter Blake Seeley struck out, O’Kevius Conway homered to left field––a two-run shot that scored Macias to pull the Blazers within two.

Despite the blast, hopes of a rally were short-lived as Kendall Herron and Dalton Murray both struck out to end the game.

The Blazers took a 2-1 lead behind solo home runs from B.J. White and Herron in the second and third inning respectively.

Dubbe fell to 1-3 on the season for the Blazers after a seven-inning performance. The senior gave up six hits, four runs (two earned) and struck out three in the loss.

The Warhawks’ Hank Scott (4-2) picked up the win after giving up two runs on nine hits and striking out six in eight innings.

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The Blazers return home Tuesday to host the Tampa Spartans at Billy Grant Field.