April 14, 2008
PENSACOLA, Fla. - West Florida's softball team picked up a big conference win over Valdosta State on Monday afternoon, after returning home from a four day weekend of conference play in Decatur, Alabama. West Florida's momentum did not stop on Monday as they used seven hits to score five runs in the 5-2 win over Valdosta. Pitcher Taren Walton got the start and the win, giving up just five hits to VSU. Third basemen Nicky VanCamp led at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a first inning two-run homerun.
Valdosta State began the scoring in the first inning with a run off of a Kristina Ely RBI single that scored Alex Acosta. In response to VSU's run, Nicky VanCamp blasted a homerun over the right centerfield fence that scored Heather Bell, who led off the first inning with a walk. The beginning of the second inning brought a leadoff solo homerun from VSU's designated player, Leslie VanKirk, that tied the score at 2-2.
West Florida loaded the bases on walks and errors in the third inning, but a foul out from Walton ended the inning. The fourth inning clinched the victory for UWF, as they scored three runs from which VSU would never recover. Stephany Aguiliar got the first hit of the inning with a one-out single up the middle, followed by Melissa Chastang with a single to left center. With two runners on, pinch hitter Emily Burge roped an RBI double to right center that scored Aguiliar. With runners in scoring position, Whitney Gay walked to load the bases. Back in the game for Burge on second was Heather Bell, and Amie McMillion came in to run for Gay. With the bases loaded again, Taren Walton came back to the plate for redemption and succeeded with a single that scored both Chastang and Bell. Bell and VanCamp both singled in the bottom of the sixth inning, but did not score.
Unable to produce anymore runs, Valdosta State suffered the loss to West Florida, 5-2. The series continued immediately following the first game, with a second game against Valdosta State starting at 3PM.
