In last night’s action, the Blazers baseball team took on Georgia Southwestern in Americus.  They avoided losing their fifth game in a row and squeaked by GSW 5-4, moving to a 2-5 record.

 In this past weekend’s action, the Blazers were swept in a three-game series, at home, by the Florida Tech Panthers. In game one, eight runs weren’t enough for a win, as the Panthers tallied 15 hits and 13 runs to defeat the Blazers 13-8.  In the bottom of the fourth inning, Florida Tech capitalized on two costly errors by VSU third basemen Joel Cardinal and two free passes given by starting pitcher, Spencer Butler. Panther right fielder, R.J. Coffman, with the bases stacked, singled to send his three teammates home.

 In the Blazers’ half of the fourth, and in a 3-0 hole, Cardinal made up for his mistake. The senior hit his first home run of the season, a two-runner that scored second basemen Marc Overstreet, who reached after being hit by a pitch.  Two innings later, FIT took those two runs back when Joel Vasquez plated Ryan McChesney and Jimmie Koch on single to center.

 In the seventh, both teams put on an offensive show. The Panthers added four more to take a commanding 9-2 lead. The Blazers didn’t blink and did their opponents one better, sending five men across home plate. Cardinal and catcher Josh Vining opened the bottom half of the inning with a pair of singles. Designated hitter, Christian Glisson, sent them the rest of the way, with a double to left center.  Two batters later, Chaz Bagwell singled and brought Glisson home. Right fielder, John Willner, followed suit with a RBI single of his own, scoring Bagwell. Willner later scored the fifth and final run of the inning on an error by Panther first basemen, Jimmie Koch.

 A 9-7 lead must have not been comfortable enough for the visiting Panthers; they scored a run in the eighth and three in the ninth to go up 13-7.  With their final three outs, the Blazers’ attempted a comeback, but could only muster one run.  Bobby Triglia followed an Overstreet triple with a one out double.

 On Sunday, the Blazers dropped both games of the doubleheader against Florida Tech.    In game two of the series, the first of the doubleheader, VSU lost 9-2. Glisson went three for four and hit his first homer of the season, a solo round-tripper in the bottom of the fifth.  Cardinal compiled two hits, one of which scored the Blazers’ other run, a single that sent Overstreet home.   VSU’s starting pitcher, Kenny Rogers, took the loss, his first of the year.  Through five innings, he surrendered six hits and four walks that lead to four earned runs, but struck out eight.

 In the final game of the series, the second of the doubleheader, Guillams’ gang wasn’t able to avoid the sweep. The Blazers were edged by the Panthers 3-1. VSU catcher, Josh Vining, who went one for three, brought in the Blazers’ only run. The senior doubled with one out in the second to score Willner, who scored a perfect three for three in the game. Starter Brett Kennedy took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, through 5.2 innings.

 This weekend VSU will go on the road and battle Nova Southeastern in a three-game series.   Game one is Friday at 6 p.m., games two and three are a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.