Blazers Blank West Florida 10-0

Decker sets new VSU single season RBI record

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Brandon Decker was a perfect four-of-four at the plate and drove in five runs to lead Valdosta State to a 10-0 Gulf South Conference victory over West Florida in baseball action Sunday afternoon at Billy Grant Field.

Valdosta State (37-17, 11-7) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as it built a 1-0 lead. Sho Kohata opened the Blazer half of the frame with a single up the middle and moved to second when Logan Pierce laid down a sacrifice bunt. Decker proceeded to double down the right-field line, scoring Kohata for the first run of the game.

Blaine Wilson added his 12th home run of the season for VSU in the second before Decker used a record-setting home run in the third to push the Valdosta State lead to 4-0. After Pierce walked to open the frame, Decker sent his 19th home run of the year over the wall in centerfield. The two runs batted in on the play gave him 77 on the 2009 season, establishing a new VSU single season record.

Decker recorded his fourth RBI of the day in the fourth inning as he singled home Kohata, who had walked and moved to third on a Pierce single, while a Kohata sacrifice fly in the fifth pushed the VSU lead to 6-0.

A pair of Lee Huggins throwing errors in the seventh allowed Valdosta State to close out the scoring and the game. With one out in the frame, Austin Smith singled and moved to second as Huggins throw to first on the play was over the head of Zach Cates at first. After a fly ball moved Smith to third, a Jon Koengisfeld ground ball appeared to get West Florida (31-21, 8-10) out of the inning, but Huggins throw on the play pulled Cates off the bag. Smith scored on the error while Koenigsfeld came home a batter later when Kohata doubled to left. Kohata moved to third on the throw home on the play and Pierce drew a walk to put runners at the corners. A wild pitch plated Kohata while Decker doubled to straight-away centerfield to score Pierce, ending the ball game.

Matt Costello surrendered five hits and two walks while striking out six batters in seven innings of work to improve to 8-2 for VSU. Kevin Johnson fell to 5-2 as he allowed four hits and four runs in three innings on the mound.

Kohata finished the day with two hits, two RBI and three runs scored for the Blazers while Pierce and Smith scored two runs each.

Cates finished the day with three of the Argonauts five hits while Tyler Hastings and Brenton Goebel collected one each.

Valdosta State closes out its 2009 regular season Tuesday, April 28 when it travels to Milledgeville, Ga. to face No. 14 Georgia College. The game, which is a make-up of a rain out from earlier in the season, is slated for a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.

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