TULLAHOMA, TN – In their final conference doubleheader of the season, No. 2 Walters State bounced back from a 10-4 game one loss to take game two, 8-4.
With the split, Walters State moves to 48-3 on the season and finish with a 27-2 record in TCCAA play.
Nick Block was the hero for Walters State in game two as he had two home runs and three RBIs.
MOTLOW STATE 10, NO.2 WALTERS STATE 4
In game one, Walters State bounced back from a five-run deficit to make it a one-run ballgame in the sixth before Motlow rallied off five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
At the plate, Walters State totaled five hits with all five coming from different Senators. Matthew Ellis, Alberto Osuna, Noah Gent, Jerry Hammons and Silas Butler each recorded hits. Ellis, Osuna, Gent and Butler knocked in the runs in the contest.
After a bases loaded RBI and grand slam from Motlow in the second inning, the Senators made a furious comeback.
In the fifth, Ellis brought home the first run for Walters State when he reached on an error that scored Butler. Osuna was the next batter and he doubled Ellis home to make it 5-2.
In the sixth, Gent opening up the inning with a bang, hitting a solo home run. Later, Butler grounded out but scored Block and it was 5-4.
However, the Bucks scored five in the bottom half of the inning to pull away.
On the mound, Jake Knapp got the start and took the loss. Knapp threw two innings, allowing five runs on two hits and struck out four. Matt Dailey replaced him in the third and threw two hitless innings before Skyler Cannady threw a clean fifth inning. Things unraveled in the sixth when Drew Honeycut and Brayden Matthews struggled on the mound.
NO. 2 WALTERS STATE 8, MOTLOW STATE 4
Walters State bounced back nicely in game two as they collected their 49th win of the season.
Block led the way for Walters State with his two home runs and three RBIs while Andrew Ott had two hits. Ellis brought home two runs in the game as well.
The Senators came out hot in game two as Ellis hit a two-run bomb in the top of the first. Motlow would tie the game back up, but Ott quickly gave Walters State the lead back with a home run in the fourth. However, Motlow would once again tie the game back in the fourth.
The back-and-forth would continue in the sixth as Block hit his first home run of the game before the Bucks hit their own solo home run in the bottom half of the inning. In the seventh though, Walters State took the lead for good with a Lukas Cook solo homer. Caleb McNeely added to the lead in the eighth with a single that scored Block before Block hit a two-run bomb in the ninth that concluded the scoring.
Nathan Morris got the start on the mound for Walters State in game two and pitched five innings. He allowed three runs on four hits while striking out four. Nathan Hickman relieved him in the sixth and was excellent as he picked up his second win of the season. Hickman allowed just one run on two hits and struck out eight of the 15 batters he faced.
UP NEXT:
Walters State will be back in action on Monday as they take on BCA Post Grad for their final home doubleheader of the regular season. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics