AMERICUS - A two-run first inning by Valdosta State would prove to be enough as four Blazer pitchers combined to shutout Georgia Southwestern, 14-0, in a non-conference baseball victory on Wednesday evening at Hurricane Stadium.
GSW has lost two of its last three games and drops to 9-30 overall. The 28th-ranked Blazers improve to 20-12. VSU completes a season sweep of Southwestern, winning all three contests this spring.
The Blazers were held scoreless in only two innings (second and seventh). After adding a run in the third, VSU scored three in the fourth and four more in the fifth to open a 10-0 lead. The Blazers finished with 18 hits while GSW was held to four.
Michel Coffey was the only Hurricane batter to register multiple hits on Wednesday. Coffey finished 2-for-3 with a walk to improve his season batting average to .304.
VSU had three batters finish with three hits in the game. Cameron Graves (3-for-4), Buster Jackson (3-for-5) and Marc Overstreet (3-for-7) led the Blazers. Overstreet collected a double, a triple and two RBIs. Graves knocked in three runs.
Hurricane starter Hunter Thompson (2-3) exited after three innings of work. He allowed six runs - five earned - and eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Cameron Blinn, Chase Burnfin and Ryan Mosley covered the final six frames.
VSU starter Nick Fogarty pitched three innings of scoreless ball before making way for Zach John (2-1). John threw three innings and was followed by Dom Demasi (one inning pitched) and Benjamin Weil (two innings).
Southwestern returns to action on Friday with a Peach Belt Conference game at Columbus State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
