Valdosta State collected a season-high 18 hits as it defeated Shorter 10-2 in Gulf South Conference baseball action at Billy Grant Field Friday afternoon.

Valdosta State (13-11, 3-6) sent all nine batters to the plate and got six hits to score five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Cooper Lemonds and Michael Gouge each singled with one out before a ground out moved both base runners up a base.

A passed ball allowed Lemonds to score while Ryan McClellan drove Gouge home with a double. Nick Rodda followed with a single that plated McClellan and also scored when Matthew Fears hit his second home run of the season to give VSU a 5-0 lead.

The Blazers added a run in the bottom of the third while both teams scored a run in the fourth inning.

Valdosta State pushed its lead to 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth as Rodda led off with a double and Fears walked. After a Hunter Thompson sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base while Bryant Hayman delivered a single up the middle to drive both home.

Fears added a run-scoring double in the bottom of the seventh to give VSU a nine-run lead while Walker Borneman collected on a run-scoring single for the Hawks (10-16, 5-5) in the top of the eighth to close out the scoring.

Pete Whittingslow, who picked off three Shorter base runners in the game, gave up five hits and one run in 6.0 innings to improve to 2-1 on the season.