Decker hits ninth home run
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – No. 22 Valdosta State raced out to an early lead as the Blazers defeated Henderson State 10-5 in non-conference baseball action at Clyde Berry Field Tuesday.

The Blazers (19-8) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as Clayton Cain drew a two-out walk in the first inning and scored on Brandon Decker’s ninth home run of the year.

The Reddies (13-8) responded with a run in the bottom of the first, only to have VSU score two more runs in the second. With one out, Chris Jones singled and moved to second on a Josh Vining base hit. A passed ball moved both base runners up a base, allowing Jones to score on a Josh Higginbotham ground out. Ryan Danbury proceeded to double to center to plate Vining, giving Valdosta State a 4-1 lead.

Jordan Yost walked and scored on a Jon Koenigsfeld double in the third to push the Blazer lead to four runs, but Henderson State responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to close to within one.

Valdosta State pushed its lead back to 8-4 in the fourth. With one out, Higginbotham tripled and scored as Danbury hit a sacrifice fly. Antonio Clark proceeded to single and scored on a Cain double, who also came home as Decker followed with a triple.

A Higginbotham double and a Clark sacrifice fly gave VSU its final two runs while the Reddies got a run off of a sacrifice fly in the ninth to close out the scoring.

Luke Connell (1-1) earned the victory for VSU as he allowed four hits and a run while striking seven in five and two-thirds innings of relief. Ben Glenn fell to 2-1 as he surrendered nine hits and eight runs in four innings.

Decker finished the game with two hits and three RBI to lead VSU offensively while Clark and Higginbotham, who tallied a pair of RBI, also had two hits each.

Valdosta State returns to action Wednesday as it plays at Ouachita Baptist.