Shane Thomas | The Valdosta Daily TimesValdosta State pitcher Caylie Van Auken throws during the third inning against Auburn Montgomery in Game 2 of a doubleheader Saturday at Steel's Diamond.

VALDOSTA –– It’s not always about the finish. Sometimes success comes from a big start.

No. 16 Valdosta State softball (23-10, 8-8 Gulf South Conference) scored six runs on just three hits in the first inning against Auburn Montgomery (30-9, 10-7 GSC).

With one of their aces in the circle, the Blazers held on for a 7-2 win to split with the Warhawks on Saturday.

“It’s always big if you can jump out on a good team,” VSU coach Thomas Macera said. “The first game, we had chances to win and we just didn’t execute when we needed to. We let that one get away, but to give Caylie (Van Auken) six runs –– usually, if you can give Caylie a six-run lead, it’ll be pretty hard for her to give that many up.”

Van Auken pitched a complete-game gem in Game 2, striking out a season-high 13 batters with no walks with five hits in seven innings. Van Auken did give up five hits, but was hit for only one earned run in the game.

Macera threw two of his best into the circle on Saturday, with Kasie Johnson starting Game 1 and Van Auken in the nightcap.

The Blazers made quick work of Warhawks starter Jade Ingram, who lasted just 1/3 of an inning with two walks and six earned runs before being pulled from the game. Ingram hit Natalia Bellinger with the bases loaded to surrender the first run for the Blazers. On the next at-bat, Jordenne Gaten walked to bring in another run to make it 2-0. Logan Hill came to plate and provided the highlight of the night for the Blazers, crushing a grand slam to right center to put the Blazers in front 6-0.

The Warhawks went to reliever Natalie Johnsey, who performed well with six strikeouts and three walks while allowing just one hit in 5 2/3 innings. Against Johnsey’s stellar pitching, the difference, Macera says, is being able to provide run support.

“It was huge –– Caylie is a very good pitcher and when she’s on, she’s really tough to beat and she was on tonight,” Macera said. “If your pitchers are gonna pitch that good, you’ve got to score runs. That’s what we didn’t do in the first game –– Kasie didn’t pitch her best but Kasie pitched good enough to win. We left a bunch of runners in scoring position with one out and those are tough ones.”

A Caroline Burns RBI double put the Warhawks on the board in the fourth inning, but the Blazers also tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth when Taylor Strickland stole home to put VSU ahead 7-1. Michaelyn Foster also came up with an RBI double in the sixth for the Warhawks’ second run of the night.

Strickland went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two drawn walks for the Blazers. Haley Garrett, Kiley Robb, Bellinger, Gaten and Hill all scored runs in the Game 2 victory.

Game 1

AUM 5, VSU 4

The Blazers couldn’t do enough at the plate with runners in scoring position as they fell 5-4 to the Warhawks in Game 1.

Natalia Bellinger’s RBI with two outs scored Kiley Robb, then an RBI by Logan Hill tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Jaycie Walker reached on an error by Robb that allowed Olivia Aycock to score the go-ahead run to put the Warhawks up 5-4. With reliever Chanel Newcomer in for the bottom of the eighth, the Warhawks slammed the door shut. Newcomer struck out Fallyn Johnson and Jordenne Gaten for two quick outs, then got Taylor Strickland to ground out to end the game.

A home run to center field by Walker –– her 11th of the season –– gave AUM a 4-1 lead and spelled the end of the day for VSU starter Kasie Johnson, who struck out six but gave up four earned runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Down 4-1, the Blazers had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth after Savanna Holmes walked Fallyn Johnson to load the bases. Gaten grounded into a key double play that saw AUM third baseman Hannah Dailey make a snag and put out Hill for the third out.

“That play was huge,” Macera said of the double play. “If we can just get a timely hit, that’s two more runs and you win the game. They made a good play, but we just couldn’t get the timely hit when we needed it in that first game. We had several chances but that one there really hurt because it wasn’t the first time (we left runners stranded). We had runners at second a couple times with one out. Again, a timely hit and those are runs. You just can’t ground out.”

VSU clung to a 1-0 lead much of the game with Johnson retiring the first eight batters she faced and working on a no-hitter through three innings. Johnson’s no-hit bid was snapped in the top of the fourth inning by AUM short stop Olivia Aycock’s single.

Johnson struck out left fielder Morgan Duschell and got Walker to fly out for two quick outs, but an RBI single by Michaelyn Foster brought Aycock across to tie the game at 1.

The Blazers tallied eight hits in the opener, with catcher Lacey Crandall and Hill coming up with two apiece to lead the Blazers at the plate.

“We need to hit better, we need the timely hits,” Macera said of the team’s focus for today’s series finale. “We’re getting on base. Somebody needs to step up and really get focused and try to have good at-bats. You’re not gonna get a hit every time, but if you have a good quality at-bat and get a good, deep fly ball, you can score a run. It doesn’t have to be a hit or a home run –– it just needs to be a good, quality at-bat that gives us a chance to move some runners.”

UP NEXT

The Blazers wrap up the three-game series against the Warhawks today at 1 p.m.