Box Score
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Valdosta State senior Chase Blackwood hit his second home run of the game with two outs in the top of the 10th inning to lead the Blazers to a 9-8 victory over Harding in an elimination game at the Gulf South Conference Tournament on Wednesday at USA Stadium. The Bisons had rallied from seven runs down in the sixth to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Valdosta State (40-18) advances to play Thursday, but its opponent will not be determined until the completion of play Wednesday.
Harding (32-25), which won more than 30 games for only the fourth time in program history, trailed 8-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Bisons scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth on Adam Darby's 16th home run of the season. In the seventh, Harding took advantage of a Valdosta State error on a potential double-play ball to score three more runs. Chase Presley drove in a run on a single and Darby walked with the bases loaded to cut the lead to 8-5.
Darby struck again with a two-run single in the ninth to make it 8-7, and Kevin Ganus drove in the tying run on an infield ground out that scored Ryan Moody from third base. Darby was 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI. He completed the season with a .426 batting average and set school records for home runs and 64 RBI.
Harding reliever Dakota Gardner (1-3) quickly retired the first two hitters of the tenth, but Blackwood hit the first pitch he saw into the trees over the left-field wall. It was his fourth home run in three GSC Tournament games and his sixth in the last four games overall. Blackwood's first home run was a two-run shot in the first inning; he has 20 home runs on the season.
The Bisons answered with a run in the second, but the Blazers plated five runs on four hits in the fifth and added another in the sixth to push the lead to 8-1.
Harding starter Troy Keith struggled with his control, walking five in the first inning but giving up only two runs in the inning. He lasted 4.1 innings and allowed six earned runs on five hits and walked eight. Valdosta State starter Jeremy Forbus went 4.0 innings and allowed only one earned run, striking out three.
Austin Smith (1-3), who started the game as the Blazer third baseman, picked up the win. He went 2.0 innings and gave up only one hit.
The game was the final action for eight Harding seniors -- Adam Darby, Wisley Correa, J.D. Glenn, Ryan Moody, D.A. Kremer, Dakota Gardner, Brian McCrackin and Shane Bishop.
