Valdosta State pitcher Alanna Hadley was named the National Pitcher of the Week on Wednesday. She then led the Blazers to two victories over Saint Leo.

One the same day the Valdosta State softball team officially moved into the nation’s top ranking, the Blazers swept the Saint Leo Lions in a doubleheader at the VSU softball complex.

The Blazers improved their winning streak to 21 games, while improving their overall record to 27-2, posting a 6-2 game one victory and a 10-3 game two victory.

“I didn’t bring up the ranking,” Valdosta State head coach Thomas Macera said. “Saint Leo beat North Georgia when they were ranked No. 1. They have beaten some good teams, so we have to play our best game every time we go out. We can’t take anyone for granted, or any record for granted. We have to play our game.”

Senior pitcher Alanna Hadley, who was named National Pitcher of the Week prior to the start of the game, was the workhouse for VSU, earning the victory in both games. Hadley threw a complete game in game one, while coming out of the bullpen in game two. Altogether, Hadley delivered 9.1 innings of work, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits.

“It is huge for her,” said Macera of Hadley’s national award. “She earned it. She won against two very good teams and everything she gets she has earned. She is keeping us close and that is all we ask, that someone keep us close and give us a chance to win.”

Offensively, senior Marti Littlefield was 5 of 6 with five runs batted in and two runs scored, both of which came on home runs in game two. Meanwhile, Morgan Johnson continued her hot bat, going 3 of 6 with 3 RBI and two runs scored, with a game one home run.

“(Morgan) is hitting the ball unbelievably well,” Macera said. “Morgan is one of the top hitters in the conference right now, if not the best in the conference. Mo is killing the ball and she is seeing it really well right now. Marti had big bombs there at the end and she is hitting the ball better than she was.”

Courtney Albritton improved her case for Freshman of the Year, going 4 of 7 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Clare Wamsley was 3 of 5 with two runs scored and an RBI. April Hutchens was 3 of 7 with 2 RBI and a run scored, and Angela O’Connor scored three runs in game two.

Altogether, VSU managed 23 hits between the two games, as eight different batters recorded hits on the night.

“Everybody comes out and works as hard as they can,” Johnson said. “If they are in the lineup, then they have the opportunity to score. Hutchens had two great hits in the bottom of that second game that helped put us back up. I mean I wouldn’t want to pitch against us.”

Game one: Blazers 6, Lions 2

VSU opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, after Johnson reached base on a single, and scored two batters later on a double from Littlefield.

“To me, this is the best team in the four years that I have been here,” Littlefield said. “It is talent wise, but it is also the girls are a lot closer and we mesh well together. And, we want it. We want it more than any team that I have been on since I have been here.”

Saint Leo evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the second inning. Ali Lamb started the inning with a double to right centerfield, and moved to third on a sacrifice by Rachelle Gremo. She scored on a fly out to left field by Danielle Moreda.

The Blazers regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning, as Albritton scored on a Littlefield single. VSU eventually loaded the bases in the inning, but left two runners stranded after a 1-2-3 double play ended the inning.

VSU extended its lead in the fourth inning, only to see Saint Leo bring the score to 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning. Wamsley scored the Blazers’ run in the fourth inning, scoring on a Johnson double.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, VSU managed to add three runs to its lead. Hutchens started the inning off with a single, and moved to second a sacrifice from Albritton. The following at-bat, Johnson blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence, scoring herself and Hutchens.

Then, Samantha Posey reached base on an error and later scored on a Natalia Morozova single.

Game two: Blazers 10, Lions 3

Valdosta State scored eight unanswered runs to close out game two to beat the Lions 10-3.

The Blazers’ eight runs came after the Lions took a 3-2 lead, scoring three runs in the top of the fourth inning.

“You know against Huntsville, we were behind in those two games,” Macera said. “We are not going to quit. There is no way we are going to quit. There is no panic in our game plan. We just have to work a little harder and we had to get on to them a little bit.”

Two errors by Posey helped the Lions in the inning, as the errors kept the inning alive. Posey’s first error came on the first at-bat, allowing Alex Garris to reach base. Brittany Yates then delivered a double that moved the runners into scoring position. Then, Posey committed another error, allowing Garris to score and Lamb to reach first base.

Yates then scored on a single from Gremo, who later scored in the inning to give the Lions a 3-2 lead.

The Blazers evened the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, as O’Connor reached base to start the inning on a hit-by-pitch. Two batters later, O’Connor scored on a Hutchens single.

VSU managed five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to blow the game wide-open. Posey started the inning off by reaching base on an error by the Saint Leo third baseman. Freshman Fran Johnson then pitch ran for Posey. The following at-bat, Littlefield blasted her first of two home runs, drilling the left field foul pole, which gave the Blazers a 5-3 lead.

“It felt really good,” Littlefield said. “I was really confident in my bat today. To come through for my team was really awesome.”

Valdosta State’s scoring wasn’t over, as O’Connor reach base, again coming a hit-by-pitch. Then, Wamsley delivered a single, which moved O’Connor into scoring position. Hutchens then drove in O’Connor, while her and Wamsley scored on an Albritton single, giving VSU an 8-3 lead.

In the sixth inning, VSU scored the final two runs of the night, using another Littlefield home run and an RBI single from Wamsley to score Morozova, who reached base on a walk.