FLORENCE
-- The University of North Alabama baseball
team was looking for a sweep Saturday in its
Gulf South Conference double-header with
division-leading Valdosta State but had to
settle for a split. UNA won the opener 15-5
but dropped the nightcap 6-2.
With the split,
UNA is 23-16 overall and 5-6 in the GSC.
Valdosta State is 26-13-1 and 8-2 in the
division.
In the opener,
UNA got a three-run homer from Jeffery
Ritter in the first inning and never looked
back. The Lions finished that first inning
with five runs and added one in the third,
three in the fourth, one in the fifth and
five in the sixth for a 15-3 lead. The
Blazers got a two-run homer in the seventh
but it wasn't enough to prevent the game
ending by the 10-run mercy rule. Branden
Tepe (4-5) got the win, pitching 6 1/3
strong innings. He allowed five runs on
eight hits and struckout three. Matt
Vandenheuvel came on and retired the only
two batters he faced to end the game.
Ritter and Kyle
Jones homered for UNA in the game, while all
five of Valdosta's runs came on the strength
of three home runs.
Will Thompson
(5-3) took the loss for VSU, lasting just
one inning and allowing five runs on four
hits.
Ritter was
4-for-4 for UNA, drove in four runs and
scored three times.
In the second
game, Valdosta State got a leadoff homer
from Jon Koenigsfeld and led 3-1 entering
the bottom of the sixth when UNA's Josh
Graham hit a solo homer to make it 3-2. UNA
made three errors, however, in the top of
the seventh that helped open the way for
three VSU runs to cross and the Lions'
threat was ended.
Justin Fleming
(1-1) took the loss for UNA, allowing four
runs on five hits. UNA managed just five
hits in the game and got two each from
Graham and Qualon Millender.
The two teams
will meet again Sunday in a single game at 1
p.m. at Mike D. Lane Field.
Printable Game
Statistics - Game 38 - Valdosta State
Printable Game
Statistics - Game 39 - Valdosta State
