Bluefield, WV – Bluefield State University Baseball took down Virginia State University on Senior Night 15-9 at Bowen Field.
Seniors Blake Perry, Cameron Hodge, Jacob Emerson, Riley Bost, Brantley Durham and Jordan Varela-Payne, who hit for the cycle and went 5 for 6 at the plate, were all honored prior to the first pitch.
The Trojans struck first, scoring three in the first inning. The Big Blue got on the board in the bottom of the inning after Varela-Payne tripled to right center and Cole Cote singled up the middle. The Trojans extended their lead in the second 4-1. Cote led off the third with a single up the middle followed by a single from Curtis Ball to left field. Dillon Sullivan flew out to deep right field to allow the runners to advance into scoring position. Cote later scored after a sacrifice fly from Garret Hladilek. After the Trojans added two in the fourth, the Big Blue evened the score after scoring four in the bottom of the inning. Cam Lowke singled and later advanced on the wild pitch and was brought home after a double by Tahir Meulens. Varela-Payne and Cote hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for the Big Blue. Ball doubled to left center to bring in two to pull within one of the Trojans. Sullivan reached on an error by the Trojans to load the bases for the second time of the inning and Hladilek brought in the tying run after getting hit by the pitch.
The Trojans took back the lead in the fifth, but it didn't last long with Varela-Payne hitting a two-run homerun in the bottom of the inning to take the 8-7 lead. The Trojans brought two across the plate in the sixth, but the last lead change of the night came in the seventh inning after a single by Varela-Payne scored Lowke and later scored.
The Big Blue pulled away in the eighth, scoring five runs. Lowke, Meulens, Varela-Payne, Ball and Sullivan each collected hits in the eighth to extend the Big Blue lead to secure the 15-9 victory over Virginia State.
Kerry Collins earned the win for the Big Blue, throwing four scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out four.
Up Next
The Big Blue will close out the series against Virginia State University tomorrow, April 9th in a double header contest starting at 12 p.m.
