VALDOSTA, Ga. – The sixth-ranked Auburn University at Montgomery softball team earned a dramatic split of a critical Gulf South Conference series against the third-ranked Valdosta State Blazers on Friday evening after winning game one 9-5 before dropping game two 14-6.

The Warhawks have their 14-game winning streak snapped after the game two loss. AUM's record moves to 31-7 with a 19-4 mark in conference play. The Blazers move to 28-6 in 2022 with a 20-3 record in GSC play.

Avery Dickerson had a career game against the Blazers in game one in relief of starter Morgan Ferguson. Dickerson earned her seventh win of the season after throwing 4.2 innings while allowing no runs on just two hits while striking out seven.

Offensively, the Warhawks were led by Haley Ann Frank, who registered the only multi-hit game for AUM. Gia Martin and Lexi Love both hit home runs in game one against the Blazers.

The Warhawks fell behind early against the Blazers in the opening game of the series. Blazer third baseman Ally Clegg launched a two-run homer in the first inning and hit a solo shot in the third to give Valdosta State a 3-0 lead.

Two runs in the bottom of the fourth for the Blazers gave the third-ranked Valdosta State squad a 5-0 lead as an RBI single, and a run on a wild pitch extended their lead.

AUM started their comeback in the top of the fifth as Shelby Edgeworth got AUM on the board after scoring on a wild pitch. After Molly Cobb reached on an error, Frank was able to score the Warhawks' second run to cut the lead to 5-2.

After a 10-pitch marathon at-bat by Martin later in the inning, the sophomore was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to allow Shelby Newsome to score AUM's third run. The Warhawks were able to add one more in the top of the sixth on Love's first long ball of her career.

The dramatic seventh inning started with a Chloe Derrick RBI single to score Lexie Bullock after Derrick's hit fell off the glove of the diving Blazer right fielder. The Warhawks stranded two runners in scoring position in the inning to send the game to extras.

AUM's scoring in the top of the eighth started when Olivia Aycock doubled down the left-field line to score Frank, who was able to reach base on an error. Kat Fallen added another run on an RBI double to score Aycock from second.

The game was put on ice when Martin launched a home run off the scoreboard in left-center to give the Warhawks a 9-5 lead and the eventual win over the third-ranked Blazers.

In-game two, Valdosta State was able to score first again as an RBI single in the bottom of the first put the Blazers ahead by one. In the following half-inning, Margaret Morgan was able to score Derrick on an RBI groundout.

After VSU took the lead in the second, Valdosta State erupted for 10 runs in the bottom of the third. The Blazers used two RBI singles, two three-run home runs, and a two-run shot to take a 13-2 lead over the Warhawks after three innings of action.

Frank added a two-run single in the top of the fourth, and Fallen drew an RBI walk later in the inning to cut the lead to 13-5, but Valdosta State would clinch the run-rule victory on a home run from Taylor Lewis in the bottom of the fifth.

The critical three-game series will come to a close tomorrow afternoon from Valdosta as the two top-10 teams will face off in the series finale at noon.

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