BOX SCORE: G1 | G2
 
VALDOSTA, Ga. – The UWF baseball team has been the definition of consistency in Gulf South Conference play over the past two seasons, but for the first since March 14, 2015, the Argonauts were swept in a conference doubleheader after Valdosta State took a pair of wins by scores of 6-5 and 8-1 on Saturday afternoon.
 
"We got behind the eight-ball pitching today," said head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "We made a few mistakes defensively but the pitching was behind. I thought our energy level was poor and I thought their (Valdosta State's) energy was good."
 
Game One: Valdosta State 6, West Florida 5
 
Valdosta State (11-3, 4-1 GSC) built a 4-0 lead heading into the fifth inning, and the Argonauts tallied its first run of the day on a Brandon Harmon single scoring Matt Sullivan.
 
The Argo bats remained quiet until the late stages when faced with a 6-1 deficit. Michael Savas brought home Nick Kerkmann on a groundout to second base in the eighth, and the Argonauts were able pull off a near comeback in the ninth inning.
 
Casey Crawford started the inning drawing a leadoff walk and eventually came around to score after Justin Ambrosino grounded out to second base. With two outs in the inning, Nic Strasser posted his second double of the game to score Harmon and two batters later, Nick Kerkmann brought home Strasser with a single through the middle of the infield.
 
With the tying run at third and two outs, Valdosta State hurler Daniel Williams recorded the game-ending strikeout and halt any chance of a last-chance comeback.
 
Just two of UWF's six runs allowed were earned. Starter JT Granat (1-3) was dealt with the loss, allowing three hits, two earned runs, three walks while recording three strikeouts.
 
Trace Penton shined in his longest outing of the year, tossing 3.1 innings of one-hit ball against the Blazers while retiring each of the last seven batters he faced.
Strasser and Kerkmann had the team's only multi-hit games, with Strasser putting together a 2-for-4 performance and Kerkmann going 2-for-2 coming off the bench.  
 
Game Two: Valdosta State 8, West Florida 1 (7)
 
The UWF (7-6, 3-2 GSC) lineup ran into VSU lefty Austin Hamilton (3-0) who allowed five hits and one run in a seven-inning complete game.
 
After Chase Kiefer stole his team-high ninth base of the season, Kiefer cut VSU's lead to 2-1 after Kiefer took a large lead at third base and startled Hamilton, causing him to balk and hand the Argos its first run in the third inning.
 
Valdosta State finished the contest with six unanswered runs, including a 5-run, 2-hit third inning.
 
UWF's five hits were scattered to five different Argonaut players.
 
Jackson Smith (2-1) suffered his first loss of the year after pitching two innings and allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks.
 
Brian Browning did not allow a hit in his first two innings of work and finished the day with just one run and one hit allowed over 2.1 innings.
 
Said Jeffcoat: "We need to try to bounce back. This is the second time we've been in this situation this year and we need to try to salvage one win in this series. One win means a lot in this conference."
 
The Argonauts and Blazers conclude its series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. ET.