SALEM, Va. – Valdosta State flexed its considerable muscle on Friday evening at the Division II Softball Championship in Salem, Va., rolling past Dixie State in a winner’s bracket contest, 8-0 (5 inn.).
The Blazer offense plated one in the second, two in the third and five in the fourth, tallying six total hits while benefiting from three costly Red Storm miscues. Catcher Morgan Butler powered the attack by going 1-for-3 with two RBIs, while NFCA All-American shortstop Shelby Altman was 2-for-2 with a run scored. Fellow NFCA All-American center fielder Courtney Albritton and designated player Heather Robinson each went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
In the circle VSU hurler Brianna Hancock improved to 24-6 by limiting the Red Storm to one hit (single by right fielder Courtney Sherwin) over five innings with a pair of walks and five strikeouts. Michelle Duncan (21-2) suffered just her second defeat of the campaign, allowing two runs on three hits with four walks and a strikeout over 2.1 frames.
After Dixie State left a runner stranded via a walk during the top half, Valdosta State got a threat started in the bottom of the first. Altman singled on the infield and was soon joined on the base paths via walk by both third baseman Hannah Strickland and second baseman Chelsea Canara. Right fielder Fran Johnson ripped a shot into the left center gap that looked as if it might score at least two. DSU left fielder Bailee Freeland raced in from out of nowhere to make a terrific sliding grab and keep the game scoreless through one complete.
With Hancock keeping the Red Storm offense under wraps, Robinson granted the Blazers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with a HR over the wall in left center.
An infield single by Altman, a walk issued to first baseman Kiley Rusen and a sacrifice bunt granted Valdosta State a pair in scoring position opening the bottom of the third. That set the stage for Canara who hit a bouncer that was misplayed at second for an error allowing both runners to cross easily and improve VSU’s lead to 3-0. A free pass to Johnson ended Duncan’s stint in the circle as Dixie State head coach Randy Simkins made the call to the bullpen, summoning in Aryn Feickert for a relief appearance. The new hurler paid dividends immediately by striking out both catcher Morgan Butler and Robinson looking to escape the jam.
Dixie State managed their only hit of the contest leading off the top of the fourth as right fielder Courtney Sherwin guided a ball the other way through the right side of the infield. With one out first baseman Sheila Gelter absolutely laced a liner to third that was caught by Strickland on her knees in more a self defense web gem. She fired quickly across the diamond, but her bid for the double play came up just late. A walk to catcher Marla Reiter put two on, but a fly ball to left from third baseman Brooke Budge left the duo stranded.
Left fielder April Colins, the No. 9 batter in the order for Valdosta State, got what eventually would be a huge inning started by christening the bottom of the fourth with a perfect bunt single and moving to second on an errant throw past the bag. Albritton cashed her in via an RBI single to left as VSU expanded its lead to 4-0. Altman and Rusen drew back-to-back walks, packing the bases for clean-up hitter Strickland with an opportunity to blow the game wide open. She made it three free passes in a row as Albritton strolled home with the Blazers’ fifth tally. Feickert handled a sharp shot back to the circle from Canara and fired home for the first out. Unfortunately for Dixie State, the deficit soon grew to six on a high sacrifice fly to left center from Johnson. The eventual throw home got away allowing the two remaining base runners to reach scoring position. That proved a huge miscue as Butler immediately blooped a two-RBI single to right as both crossed to lead 8-0.
Requiring just three outs to end things early, Hancock remained dominant, striking out a pair and coercing a routine pop-up to finish off the mercy rule contest.
