The Valdosta State baseball team earned a non-conference victory Wednesday night, beating the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes 7-3 at Billy Grant Field.

The Blazers (8-6) erased a 3-0 first inning deficit, scoring seven unanswered runs to earn the victory. Chaz Bagwell, who played at both first base and right field, finished the night 2 of 5 with three runs scored, including a solo home run in the seventh inning, which gave VSU a 6-3 lead.

“I felt good,” Bagwell said. “I screwed up a bunt and it bothered me — I let me team down. So, I had to come back with something for them.”

Designated hitter Christian Glisson, who was named the Gulf South Conference’s Player of the Week on Tuesday, was 2 of 3 with an RBI and two runs scored, improving his season average to .477 on the season.

“I think at practice, Coach Todd (Guilliams) is doing a great job at just little tweaks and minor adjustments,” Glisson said as a credit to his powerful start to the season. “I have a lot of good guys batting around me and I am getting good pitches to hit.”

Benjamin Weil earned the victory, after pitching 4.2 innings of relief, allowing 0 runs on one-hit, while striking out two batters. VSU starting pitcher Ben Watson was roughed up, being pulled after 1/3 innings pitched, allowing a run and loading the bases in the process.

“At the end of the day, we are going to have to pitch better,” Valdosta State head coach Greg Guilliams said, “And we are going to have to play better defense.”

Watson was replaced by Dom Demasi, who surrendered a two-run single up the middle before getting two outs to end the three-run first inning for the Hurricanes (3-16).

The Blazers got back two of the runs in the bottom half of the first inning, using a Bagwell single and a Glisson double to put runners in scoring position with one-out. Then, Bagwell scored on a wild pitch, which moved Glisson to third. Glisson then scored on another wild pitch from GSW starter Hunter Thompson.

The Blazers took the lead in the third inning, after Ryan Noelte reached base with a double and Glisson on an intentional walk. Noelte scored on a single by Cameron Graves, which was extended by a throwing error by Georgia Southwestern right fielder Corey Benson, who threw the ball over the catcher’s head, allowing Glisson to score on the play. The two scores gave VSU a 4-3 lead.

“I think it is just confidence,” Guilliams said about his team’s comeback. “We have been swinging the bats a lot better lately. Since the start of the season, we hadn’t been swinging the bats that great, and that wasn’t what I was worried about. I am not surprised we are swinging the bats better, I figured at some point we would.”

The Blazers added padding to their lead in the fifth inning, as Bagwell scored on an RBI double off the left field wall by Glisson. Bagwell had reached base on a fielder’s choice.

After Bagwell’s homer in the seventh, VSU added one more run in the eighth inning, as Marc Overstreet scored on a single by Brent Nelson, which made the score 7-3.

Valdosta State travels to New Orleans to face the University of New Orleans in a three-game series this Saturday and Sunday.