VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 11 Valdosta State Blazers completed a doubleheader sweep of the Lee softball team, coming back to win game two, 5-3 on a walk off home run on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Flames dropped the opener, 3-2 earlier in the day. The two teams will wrap up the three-game set tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
Lee jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the nightcap thanks to a Brooklynn Frazier single, Bailey Church fielder's choice and a Zoe Miller single up the middle.
Shonna Penney breezed through the first three innings before giving up a pair of runs in the second and a run in the third. Valdosta's Baylee Everson and Carly Joyner singled home runs in the fourth and Rob delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth to tie things up. Penney struck out five and walked one.
Penney gave way to game one starter Lulu Vasquez (6-5) who surrendered a walk off two-run homer to Logan Hill in the bottom of the seventh.
Morgan Hill started and was lifted after just 0.2 innings allowing the three runs, three walks and a hit. Samantha Richards (4-1) came and limited the Lady Flames to just one hit over 6.2 innings pitched. She struck out eight and walked just one.
"We played two good games and held them. We had the opportunity to win two today but came up short," said Lee head coach Emily Russell. "I think we can grow tomorrow in our play and continue to make strides to become the best team we can be."
LEE 2 VSU 3
Valdosta State's Shayne O'Connell went the distance and struck out 11 to lead the No. 19 Blazers over the Lee softball team, 3-2 in game one on Saturday afternoon.
Lulu Vasquez (6-4) was the tough-luck loser for the Lady Flames. She went all six innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out eight.
The Lady Flames battled back to tie things at two in the top of the sixth inning. Kayla Gooch and Kayla Louie led things off with back to back singles before Maddie Davenport delivered a two-run single.
The Blazers answered right back as Lacey Crandall delivered the game-winning run with a double in the bottom of the sixth.
O'Connell made it stick in the top of the seventh as she struck out the side to close out the victory to improve to 6-2.
