TAMPA, Fla. (May 20, 2022) – The Spring Hill College (SHC) Badgers baseball team closed out the 2022 NCAA Division II South 1 Region Tournament with a 9-5 loss to the Valdosta State University (VSU) Blazers at the University of Tampa Baseball Stadium on Friday afternoon.
After a morning rainstorm delayed the start of the contest by 90 minutes, the 8
th-seeded Badgers (38-15) surrendered a 1
st-inning unearned run to the 4
th-seeded Blazers (31-15) off an infield throwing error, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Blazer led off the 4
th inning with a triple to right-center and followed with a run-scoring infield error by SHC to make it a 2-0 cushion. Later in the frame, a single to left drove in a run and was compounded by an error on the throw back in to 3
rd base that brought around a 4
th run while moving the batter to 3
rd base. A wild pitch then made it 5-0 in favor of the Blazers.
After the Blazers made it a 6-0 score in the top of the 6
th inning, the Badgers came alive with back-to-back singles by
Grayson Williams and
Micah Morgan that were followed by a 2-run double to left-center field by
Norris McClure.
Luke Sweeney then added to Badgers run total with a mammoth 2-run homer out of left field, rallying SHC to within 6-4.
Valdosta responded in the top of the 7
th frame with a 1-out RBI-single up the middle and a 2-run single to center to rebuild a 9-4 margin.
SHC loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 7
th off a hit-by-pitch, an infield error, and a bunt single by
Gage Ragona. The Badgers would add a run with a single to center, but Ragona got caught taking too wide of a turn at 2
nd base for the first out of the stanza. A strikeout put the second out on the board and a foul pop to the catcher ended the threat.
Logan Clark (9-3) took the loss in 5.0 innings of work with six hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. K. Tomas (3-2) earned the win for the Blazers in 6.0 innings with six hits allowed, no walks, and two strikeouts.
Williams finished the day with three hits and an RBI while Morgan had two of the Badgers' eight hits.
The Badgers finished the season with a 38-15 record and the 2022 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. Retiring SHC head coach
Frank Sims completed his 39-year career with a 1010-930-3 record.
