Stevens, big bats lead No. 1 Walters State baseball to Region 7/TCCAA Championship game

GALLATIN, TN – To quote Walters State right fielder Kruise Newman, "Jonny Stevens is him."

Down 8-5 to No. 19 Chattanooga State in the Region 7/TCCAA Semifinals on Thursday evening, Walters State head coach Dave Shelton turned to Jonny Stevens on the mound with one out in the fifth.

And what happened next is the stuff legends are made of.

Pitching just four innings all season, Stevens pitched the remaining 4.2 innings, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out 10. Using that outing and 10 runs from innings five through seven, the Senators took a 15-8 win over Chatt State to advance to the Region 7/TCCAA Championship game. 

With the win, Walters State moved to 51-8 on the season. 

"When they took the lead, I was just trying to come in and do my job," Stevens said. "I trusted all my infielders, they've been there for me all year, and I just trusted what I had and what they got. I knew we were going to be ok." 

While only making five appearances heading into Thursday's game, Stevens stayed sharp in practice and knew he would be ready when the time came. 

"I have just stayed working," Stevens said. "I have been in the gym constantly. My teammates keep me motivated in practice too because they knew an opportunity like this was going to come in the postseason. That's what we have all been preparing for and there's going to be other dudes get this opportunity and show what they're made of. It's a team thing, just keeping everyone up at all times." 

Along with the confidence in himself on the mound, Stevens also had the confidence of his teammates behind him and in the dugout. 

"That's my best friend," Newman said. "He deserves the world. He hasn't gotten many opportunities this season and got hurt last year, but this dude deserves the entire world. He's a dog." 

While Stevens was doing his thing on the mound, the Senators were helping him out at the plate with five home runs. 

The home runs came from the two-hole, four-hole, six-hole, seven-hole and eight-hole in the lineup as Cooper Torres, Corbin Shaw, Kruise Newman, Jarrett Martin and Keaton Ray all homered. 

"I think the biggest thing was the lighting today with us playing a night game," Newman said. "The ball was like a glowstick. It's crazy. I think anytime someone steps up; we have a chance to do something special." 

Newman led the way for the Senators in the Thursday's game with three hits and was a double away from the cycle.

"We have worked all season," Newman said. "This is the most competitive team I have ever played for. It's been an honor to play here. When we were down, we just knew we were never out of it." 

Along with Newman, Caleb Marmo had two hits, two walks, two RBIs and scored three times. Meanwhile, Martin, Ray and Kurtis Reid each had two hits. 

On the mound, Landon Crumbley got the start and threw 4.1 innings. He allowed seven runs, six earned, on six hits and struck out three. Ty Cobb entered in the fifth and faced four batters before Stevens took over. 

It was Chatt State that got on the board first with a run in the top of the second, but Newman and Ray hit solo homers in the bottom of the inning to give the Senators a 2-1 lead. Then, with two outs, Cole McCallum roped a two-RBI single to make it 4-1. 

Chattanooga State cut into the lead in the third with two runs, but Walters State made it 5-3 lead in the fourth as Marmo singled home Reid, who tripled the batter before. 

However, the Tigers rallied in the fifth and scored five times to take an 8-5 lead. Needing a response, the Senators got it in the bottom of the inning as Martin crushed a two-run homer to cut the lead to 8-7.

In the sixth, Torres gave Walters State the lead for good with a two-run homer to make it 9-8. Then in the seventh, Walters State broke away with six more runs to make it 15-8. Those runs came on a Martin RBI single, a Marmo single that scored Ray and Martin, a wild pitch that scored Marmo and a Shaw two-run homer. 

With the lead, Stevens was automatic on the mound and struck out the final batter of the game to cap off the win.

"I can't even explain," Stevens said about getting the final out. "It was like electricity radiating off of me, and I knew I was going to turn around and see all the smiles. It's something I will never forget." 

Up Next:

Walters State will be back in action tomorrow in the Region 7/TCCAA Championship. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.

"We just need to come out tomorrow and stay focused and win that game and keep on going," Newman said. 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics