VALDOSTA — Thursday’s heavy rains did not wash away the Valdosta State’s softball games with rival West Georgia. But the Blazers probably wish they had.

West Georgia swept a doubleheader with Valdosta State Thursday at the North Campus Softball Complex. The Lady Braves won the first game 9-4, then took the nightcap 9-4.

West Georgia took three of four games from the Blazers the past two days. VSU is now 21-11, and 10-6 in the conference, falling from second place to fourth in the GSC East.

In both games, the big inning did the Blazers in. In Game 1, West Georgia had a pair of four-run innings, and in the second game, the Lady Braves’ seven-run fifth inning gave them the victory.



Game 1: West Georgia 9, Valdosta State 4

West Georgia scored four times in the third, then got four more in the sixth to pull away for a 9-4 win.

The Blazers and Lady Braves were tied 1-1 when West Georgia had its first big inning of the day. With one out in the top of the third, West Georgia loaded the bases, then Adrienne Clay drew a bases-loaded walk. Liz Hall came in to relieve starter Allison McKean, and was greeted with a Jessie Wise RBI single. Then a Jamie Van Haltern ground out brought home another run, making it 4-1. Amanda Bunting’s infield single made it 5-1.

The score remained 5-1 until the top of the sixth, when West Georgia put the game away. With two outs, Clay lined a two-run double down the left field line. Wise followed with a blast over the center field fence, putting two more runs on the board for West Georgia, and making it 9-1.

Valdosta State came back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Amy Gaiss was hit by a pitch, and Brianna Collis followed with a double to left center. Peaches Ramsey’s infield single scored Gaiss. Collis then scored on a double steal, making it 9-3.

With two outs in the seventh, Ashley Mayhue reached on an error, took third on Caroline Cripe’s double to left, and scored on a Gaiss single.

West Georgia got its first run on a solo homer by Mary Carlisle in the first inning. VSU tied the score on a Collis double in the second.

For the Lady Braves, Carlisle was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI, Wise went 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Clay scored two runs and drove in three more. Kacie Crider (10-5) struck out seven.

For the Blazers, Collis was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Willis went 2-for-4. McKean (6-4) took the loss.



Game 2: West Georgia 9, Valdosta State 4

Early on, things were going well for VSU. In the bottom of the first, Holly Willis ripped a line drive over the fence in center to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead.

West Georgia came back with an unearned run in the top of the second, but Valdosta State responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. With two runners on and two outs, Trele Edwards doubled to the fence in right center, scoring Gaiss and Melissa Santana.

In the fourth, the Lady Braves loaded the bases with no outs, then an error scored a run, making it 3-2. But Kristen Lindsey, in relief of starter Elske ten Hoope, escaped the jam with a line drive double play and a strikeout to end the inning.

Then the dam broke in the top of the fifth.

First, West Georgia’s Kim Weaver hit a line drive over the fence in right field for a two-run homer. Then West Georgia loaded the bases. VSU brought in Mayhue in relief, and she retired the first two batters on a force out at home and a strikeout. But then she hit ninth hitter Erica Colee on an 0-2 pitch, forcing in a run. Celia Petty followed with a double to the warning track in left, plating two more runs to make it 7-3. Then an error scored two more runs to make it 9-3.

Willis slammed her second homer of the game, and 10th of the season, in the bottom of the sixth, cutting West Georgia’s lead to 9-4. But that was as close as VSU got.

For West Georgia, Van Haltern went 3-for-3 with a run, Weaver was 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Petty drove in two more. Kate Thompson (4-5) got the win.

Willis was 2-for-4 with two solo home runs, and Mayhue and Collis also had two hits each. Edwards had two RBI. Lindsey (8-2) took the loss. Only three of West Georgia’s nine runs were earned.