MONTGOMERY, Ala. ------ Abby Krueger had a pair of hits and Chanel Newcomer tossed her second complete game of the season, but the Auburn Montgomery softball team fell in its Gulf South Conference series opener to (RV) Valdosta State Thursday, 2-0, at the AUM Softball Complex.
 
NOTES
• AUM fell to 12-7 overall with a 7-6 mark in league play.
• Valdosta State improved to 20-7, including 8-5 in conference games.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Krueger finished 2-for-3 at the plate.
• Jaycie Walker posted one hit in three at bats.
• Newcomer scattered six hits, allowing one earned and one unearned run, striking out three and walking three. She fell to 6-4 on the year.
• Kasie Johnson tossed a three-hit shutout, striking out five, to improve to 5-2 on the season.
• Heather Robinson finished 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI in the victory.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Blazers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, when Robinson doubled in Taylor Hartenbach, who worked a one-out walk.
• The Warhawks stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth inning. Amy Persinger led off the frame with a walk, before moving to second on a wild pitch. Walker moved her to third on a groundout, before Hannah Dailey was hit by a pitch and stole second. Kalee Sparks tapped a pitch back to Johnson in the circle, who was able to nabbed Persinger off third base. Michaelyn Foster drove a ball into the hole a shortstop, but Tana McDaniel was able to force out Dailey at third to get out of the jam.
• Valdosta State added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, when Lacey Crandall plated McDaniel with a two-out single.
• AUM put together a final rally in the bottom of the seventh, but the Blazers used a pair of great defensive plays to preserve the win. Pinch hitter Morgan Duschell led off the frame by having a hit taken away on a diving catch by Brandy Morgan down the left field line. Gracie Harris followed by reaching on a throwing error by McDaniel and moved up to second on the overthrow. Persinger followed with a single, putting runners on the corners with one out for the Warhawks. Pinch hitter Gracie Poe became the second AUM player robbed of a hit when Danielle Patterson made a diving catch on a ball heading toward the right-centerfield gap and doubled off pinch runner Rose Schmidt to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
• Each team committed one error in the ball game.
• The Warhawks successfully stole two bases, one each by Parker Pinholster and Dailey.
• Each team stranded six runners on base.
• The Blazers turned the lone double play of the contest.
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks and Blazers will conclude their GSC series Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
 
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