VALDOSTA, Ga. - Junior infielder Bradley Hough delivered a two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning to lift the Georgia Southwestern State University baseball team past Valdosta State University, 5-4, Tuesday evening at Billy Grant Field to complete a season sweep of the Blazers.
Hough drove in four of the Hurricanes five runs in the game as he added a two-run home run in the seventh inning.
How It Happened: GSW jumped in front early as senior Jared Jones singled up the middle with one out in the first inning to plate junior Jason Baita.
Valdosta State quickly answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame and took its first lead off a double steal with runners on the corners in the fourth inning. The Blazers proceeded to bring in another run with an RBI single in the fourth to go ahead, 3-1.
Hough tied the game with his two-out, two-run blast over the left field wall in the seventh inning.
Valdosta State pushed across its final run in the eighth to momentarily regain the lead, 4-3, but Hough delivered in the ninth.
Valdosta State used six pitchers in the game. Ricky Miranda, the final hurler on the mound for the Blazers, inherited a base runner in the ninth inning and took the loss (1-1) after surrendering the home run to Hough.
GSW snapped a six-game losing skid to improve its record to 5-22 this spring while Valdosta State, having won three of its last four, falls to 12-17.
Who Stood Out: The pitching staff gave GSW a chance to pull off the late heroics. Junior starter Stewart Tyler scattered six hits over 5 2/3 innings and held Valdosta State to three runs. Freshman Jared Donalson allowed one run over his 1 2/3 innings of relief before senior Andrew Patrick (1-0) shut down the Blazers for the final 1 2/3 to pick up his first win of the season. Patrick struck out two of the five batters he faced and did not allow a hit nor a run.
At the plate, Hough finished 2-for-4, scored once and had four RBIs. Senior Danny Molinari joined Hough with two hits. Molinari went 2-for-3, scored a run and was walked once.
Hough was a thorn in the side of VSU this season as he drove in the winning run when these schools met in Americus, as well, on Feb. 28.
Up Next: GSW returns home to host Young Harris College (17-13, 10-8 PBC) in a three-game weekend Peach Belt Conference series starting with a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m.
