GALLATIN, TN – Warriors.
That's how Walters State baseball coach Dave Shelton described his team following their 12-6 win over Dyersburg on Thursday afternoon in the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII Championship game.
Just two days ago, it didn't look like the Senators would come close to getting to a deciding game after falling to Dyersburg 20-9 in a winners bracket matchup. Following that loss, the Senators were faced with having to win three games in two days to keep their season alive.
However, instead of rolling over and going down quietly, the Senators did what they have done so many times this season. They fought.
First, it was Peyton Calitri and Brayden Matthews pitching a gem on Wednesday afternoon to take down Motlow State, 3-1.
Then, it was Nolan Letzgus, who hadn't pitched in two months, and Joey Mitchell keeping Dyersburg at bay for an 8-3 victory.
And, finally, it was Caleb McNeely and so many others coming up with big hits time and time again on Thursday as the Senators took down the No. 14 team in the country for the second straight day.
"If you've never been involved in it, you have no idea how hard it is to come out of the losers bracket," Shelton said. "From a physical and mental standpoint, it's one of the hardest things to do in sports. Especially against teams as good as Dyersburg and Motlow. I am beside myself that we were able to pull that off.
"Dyersburg is one of the more talented teams I have seen in a long time. They were a special team, and it's a shame that both of us aren't able to move on. Because they earned the right to move on too. But I am super proud of my guys. They just battled like no other."
It was no easy task on Thursday for Walters State as they went against the conference's pitcher of the year in Zane Morehouse. Coming into the contest, Morehouse was 13-0 with an ERA around two.
Morehouse showed his ability at times, striking out the side in the first after giving up three straight hits to start the game, but Walters State didn't not falter and put together diligent at bats to get to him early and often.
"In his defense, it is tough to come out there on two days rest," Shelton said. "He is one of the best arms I have seen in this league in 18 years. That is a professional arm on the mound against us. Things just went our way against him today. When you face a guy like that and you have chances, you have to take advantage of them. And we did."
No chance was bigger for the Senators against Morehouse than in the third inning. After Matthew Ellis and Alberto Osuna reached to start the inning, Cam Fisher broke a 1-1 tie as he reached on an error that scored Ellis. Then, Noah Gent stepped to the plate and reached on an error by Dyersburg that allowed him to get to second and cleared the bases, making it 5-1.
The big strike in the inning came three batters later, though. After Silas Butler walked to put two runners on, McNeely smoked a line drive to center that kept carrying and eventually cleared the fence for a three-run home run.
"It felt really good," McNeely said. "I was sitting fastball, and I honestly wasn't trying to hit a home run. I was just trying to square it up and it just kept going. I had no idea it was going over. I thought it was going to bang off the wall, so I was trying to make sure I was going to end up at third."
On the mound for Walters State, Kohl Drake got the start and, like Morehouse, was on two days' rest. Drake managed to work around damage, giving the Senators 4.2 innings and allowing four runs on four hits while striking out six.
Nathan Morris replaced Drake with two outs in the fifth after Dyersburg had made it an 8-4 ball game and was threatening for more. Morris would get the final out of the fifth inning and then go the rest of the way, not allowing a run until the final inning when he gave up two solo home runs. Morris struck out four and picked up the win.
"One of our big things we talk about is pitching with a lead, so I just tried to throw a lot of first pitch strikes and get guys out as fast as we could so we could tack on more runs," Morris said. "They have a really good lineup and hit the ball all over the place. I just tried to go at them and go around them."
With Morris pitching quick and effectively, Walters State was able to tack on more runs and build the lead. In the seventh, Nick Block worked his way around the bases, stealing third and scoring on a wild pitch. Then, later in the inning, Jerry Hammons doubled home two runs and it was 10-4.
Wanting a little more insurance, Alberto Osuna gave them that in the bottom of the eighth when he hit his 23rd home run of the season to lead off the inning.
For Osuna, it had been a struggle at times over the past few days. But, a talk with Shelton right before the at-bat calmed him down and the results followed.
"Alberto might be the best hitter in the country, but he has been pressing this whole tournament," Shelton said. "I just pulled him aside and said to just relax and turn those hands loose and let it fly. Sure enough, he did that. It was good to see him get a little feel good at bat before we move on."
Block added one more insurance run in eighth as he singled in Fisher who reached on a walk.
In the ninth, the Eagles tried to respond one last time as they hit two solo home runs. But, a groundout to Lukas Cook ended the contest.
"I was just so excited when I saw that last ground ball," Morris said. "We go from losing our first two games, having adversity and just fighting back and winning these last three games. It took the whole team, and I am just happy we are here."
The job is not done yet for Walters State as now they advance to the Appalachian District to take on Andrew College out of Georgia in a best-of-3 series with the winner advancing to the World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
And, as phenomenal as this week has been for the Senators, they are still hungry for more.
"We're just going to play our game," Morris said. "We are one of the best teams in the nation. We should play like it every day. Everybody on this team is an elite player. We just have to play like it, and we'll be good."
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics