Valdosta State swept the Lady Hawks in a Gulf South Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon; winning the opener 6-5 in nine innings, before taking the finale 5-2.

With the losses, Shorter moves to 16-23 on the season and 11-17 in the GSC; while the Blazers improve to 35-9 overall and 21-7 in conference play.

GAME 1: VSU 6, SU 5
Valdosta State scored first, taking advantage of a Lady Hawk error in the first inning to take.a 1-0 lead. Only to have Shorter come back in the second to tie the game on Kaylee Combs' first homerun of the afternoon – a solo shot to left field for the 1-1 score. Before the Blazers regained the advantage in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs and added to it in the fifth with a run for the 4-1 score.

The Lady Hawks answered in the top of the sixth with four runs, to take a 5-4 lead. First as Combs homered to right center – to tally her first career two-homer game. Taylor Ann Oda followed with an RBI double, before Maddie Hunt brought in Ashley Langel on a single and Oda scored on an error by the shortstop.

Valdosta State countered in the seventh with a solo homerun to tie the game and send it to extra innings; where Brandy Morgan played hero with a solo homerun in the bottom of the ninth for the 6-5 final score.

Payton Lippert took the loss, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts through a complete game performance.

Carson Carriker finished 3-4 at the plate; while Hunt, Combs and Oda each tallied two hits apiece.

GAME 2: VSU 5, SU 2
Combs put the Lady Hawks on the board in the first with an RBI single to right center to plate Tiffany Holland. Only to have the Blazers answer in the third with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 advantage. Before, adding three in the fourth on homeruns from Logan Hill and Jessica Mohl. Combs then added a second RBI single in the fifth to bring in Carriker for the 5-2 final score.

Julie Sanderlin made the start, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with a strikeout through 3.2 innings of work. Hannah Draper pitched the final 2.1, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout.

???????Carriker, Combs, Taylor Martin and Dani Lukas each finished the day with two hits.

UP NEXT
The Lady Hawks will look to get back in the win column Sunday afternoon in the series finale beginning at 12:00pm from Blazer Park.