Valdosta State University turned away a key rally by the Lee University baseball team with the bases loaded in the first inning and proceeded to score two runs in each of the next four innings in posting a 10-0 seven-inning run-rule victory on Saturday evening.
The loss came in the second round of the Gulf South Conference Baseball Championship being played at Choccolocco Park. Fourth-seeded Valdosta State (28-18) advanced to the finals of the winner’s bracket and will face West Florida on Sunday afternoon. The top-seeded Flames (38-14) will seek to battle back in the loser’s bracket and will face Delta State at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday. The Statesmen remained alive with an earlier Saturday win over Shorter University.
Fired up by escaping the Lee rally in the first inning, the Blazers wasted no time in jumping on top in the second frame. Jovanni Canegitta, who had an outstanding evening at the plate, collected a two-base hit and scored on a two-run homer by Hunter Stowe, who also enjoyed a strong hitting performance.
Two runs were the name of the game over four straight innings for Valdosta as the lead climbed to 8-0. In the third, Ryan Romano singled and the Blazers made the Flames pay dearly when Dennis Pierce reached on an error. Canegitta blasted a two-base hit that scored Romano and Pierce.
It was a repeat of the same situation in the fourth inning, but this time Valdosta took advantage of a pair of walks. Jacob Harper picked up a RBI with a double and Romano got the other run batted in with a single. The Blazers made it 8-0 in the fifth. Canegitta got another two-run rally started with his third hit of the game. Stowe drove his teammate home with a double and later scored on a RBI single by Harper. Cam Suto prevented even more damage from being done with a super catch on a line drive off the bat of DJ Banks in the inning.
Another two-spot went on the board in the seventh as the result of singles by Stowe and Banks. Raynel Ortiz was hit by a pitch. Harper picked up his third RBI of the game with a sac fly to right and Pedro Moreno walked to push the 10th run of the contest across the plate.
The Flames only managed four hits in the loss. They had singles by Suto, Brandon Daniels and Luke
Collier while Riley Black put down a bunt that was scored as a one-base hit. Hunter Booth worked the entire seven innings for Valdosta and improved his pitching record to 9-0. After working out of the first inning jam, he never faced a serious challenge again, striking out seven and walking only one hitter.
Keegan Gagliardo hurled the first four innings for Lee. He gave up six hits and six earned runs, striking out four, walking two and hitting one batter. Zachary Lawson pitched the next two innings. The freshman surrendered four hits and two earned runs. He fanned a pair and did not allow a free pass. Nelson Smith came on in the seventh inning. He retired one hitter, gave up two hits, two earned runs, walked one and hit one batter. David White followed and set down two Blazer hitters and walked one batter.