Martin homers twice, drives in nine runs in Senators two wins over Motlow State

MORRISTOWN, TN – Jarrett Martin set the tone for Walters State with his very first at-bat on Friday afternoon against Motlow State.

Trailing 2-1 at the time in the bottom of the first, Martin unloaded on a pitch and sent it well over the fence in left-center to give the Senators the lead. Martin hit another home run in game one and knocked in nine runs over both games, as Walters State won 11-2 in game one and 10-4 in game two over the Bucks.

With the sweep, the Senators moved to 16-8 overall and 3-2 in TCCAA play. 

It feels good," Martin said about getting two conference wins. "We needed it after a little bit of a rough start. We're a good team, and we're going to figure it out and continue to play well."

GAME ONE: Walters State 11, Motlow State 2

In game one, Motlow started things off three batters in with a two-run homer. However, the Senators responded with 11 unanswered runs to take the win.

Martin led the way, going 3-3 with two home runs and seven RBI. 

"It felt good," Martin said. "I got some pitches to hit. I had been struggling to start the season, but I'm feeling more and more comfortable at the plate. Hopefully, it keeps going well from here."

Along with Martin, Miles Smith had two RBI while Deniel Ortiz and Logen Sutton had two hits each. 

On the mound, Karson Bonaparte (4-1) got the start and threw six innings. Bonaparte allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six. Aiden Robertson replaced Bonaparte in the seventh and struck out two to seal the win. 

Following the Bucks two-run homer in the top of the first, Walters State cut the lead to one on their first batter of the game as Jack Vogele hit a towering home run to make it 2-1. Martin came up later in the inning with a runner on third and two outs and gave the Senators the lead with a moonshot homer. 

In the third, Walters State added to their lead as Walker Morgan scored a run on a sacrifice fly and Martin singled two more home to make it 6-2. The final two runs of the inning came on a Smith two-RBI single. 

The Senators final three runs of the game came in the fourth inning, with Martin sneaking a home run over the fence in left to make it 11-2. 

GAME TWO: Walters State 10, Motlow State 4

In game two, Walters State again fell behind by two runs in the top of the first before scoring 10 runs to take the win. 

As a team, the bats have picked up at the start of conference play. Walters State have scored 47 runs in five conference games. 

"I think we're sticking with our approach better and are being tougher to strikeout," Martin said. "I think we're starting to show what we're capable of." 

At the plate in game two, Nate Conner, Martin and Sutton each drove in two runs. Sutton hit his second home run of the season, as well. 

On the mound, Tyler Welch (2-1) got the start and threw two innings. Welch gave up two runs on one hit. Luke Ferguson replaced Welch in the third and threw two innings, before Gage Peterson pitched the final three innings. Peterson gave up a run on no hits, walking five and striking out three.

Friday was a nice bounceback for the Walters State pitching staff after allowing 20 runs last weekend in three games.

"I think the guys just pitched to contact, got guys out and executed their pitches," Martin said. 

After Motlow got two runs in the top of the first, the Senators got one back in the bottom half of the inning on a groundout by Martin that scored Conner. 

The Senators tied the game in the third on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. Motlow briefly took the lead back in the top of the fourth, but Walters State scored seven runs in the bottom half of the inning. Those runs came on a Martin RBI single, a Sutton two-RBI single, an Andrew Grande RBI single, a passed ball that scored a run and a Conner two-RBI single that made it 9-3. 

The Senators scored one final run in the fifth on a Sutton solo shot. Motlow got a run in the sixth that made it 10-4, but that was all. 

Up Next:

Walters State will be back in action on Saturday for a morning clash against Motlow State. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. 

"We just need to come out here ready to go," Martin said. "It's a morning game, but we're used to it. We practice early and in the rain, so we'll be ready to go." 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics