ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The first day of the Flagler Invitational is in the books. The Flagler College softball team (2-1) left the five-game Friday with two of its own as the Saints defeated No. 12-ranked Valdosta State University, 1-0, in the first game before falling to the University of West Georgia, 3-0, to end the first day at Flagler Field.
Game One — Flagler 1, VSU 0
Kyra Gipson (W, 2-0) tossed a gem and picked up her second victory in as many days to get the Saints rolling Friday. The senior went the distance in her shutout victory, where she allowed just four hits while striking out a pair to open the Flagler Invitational.
One run was all Flagler needed in its first victory over a ranked team since April 18, 2019. Gipson took care of things in the circle, and then
Kyleigh Taylor took the scoring into her hands as she took her first at-bat over the left-center wall to give the Saints the advantage they would need to secure the signature win.
The homer was Taylor's first of the young season and was her first of a team-high two hits.
NaJah Gerrald,
Valerie Beltre,
Bella Munoz (2B), and
Morgan Murphy were the other Saints who recorded a hit versus the Blazers' Samantha Richards (L, 0-1).
Game Two — Flagler 0, West Georgia 3
In the final game Friday, the Saints saw another solid outing from its pitcher; however, the bats didn't heat up until the sixth inning and a trio of errors haunted the home team in the long run.
Madelyn Wise (L, 0-1) was two strikeouts shy of her career-high strikeout total as she struck out 10 Wolves over seven innings, while allowing two earned runs on six hits. The Saints saw their first hits come in the sixth frame when Gerrald, Beltre and Munoz all reached on infield singles (Beltre reaching on a squeeze bunt), but the rally was halted when Kya Draper (W, 1-0) was able to get Taylor to flyout.
It was the Saints best threat to score as UWG made several defensive plays to keep Flagler off the bases, while the Wolves plated a run in the first and a pair in the fourth.
Flagler will conclude its play in the Flagler Invitational at 11 a.m. Saturday with a rematch versus West Georgia, who lost to Georgia Southwestern University in walk-off fashion late Friday night.
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