HARRIMAN, TN – No. 11 Walters State scored early and often on Saturday afternoon against Roane State, sweeping a doubleheader. The Senators won 9-4 in game one and 13-2 in five innings in game two.
With the wins, Walters State improved to 35-10 overall and 17-3 in TCCAA play.
GAME ONE: No. 11 Walters State 9, Roane State 4
In game one, the Senators scored three in the third and three in the sixth to grab the win.
Leading the way at the plate, Keaton Ray had a home run and three RBI. Zion Taylor had two hits and two runs driven in, as well.
On the mound, Karson Bonaparte (9-1) got the start and the win. Bonaparte threw five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out nine. Rowan Park replaced Bonaparte in the sixth and threw the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out three.
The Senators got on the board first in game one, as Ray hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the second to score Taylor and make it 1-0. In the third, the Senators scored three more times to make it 4-0. Kurtis Reid scored on a wild pitch, and Taylor singled home Deniel Ortiz and Logen Sutton.
Ray made it 5-0 in the top of the fourth with a solo homer, but Roane State scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth to cut the lead to two. Needing some insurance, Walters State got it with three runs in the sixth. Those runs came on a Walker Morgan RBI double, a Reid RBI double and a Nate Conner RBI single that made it 8-3.
Roane State scored one final time in the sixth to make it 8-4, but Ray got the run back in the seventh with an RBI single. Roane State put two on with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Park got a strikeout and double play to end the game.
GAME TWO: No. 11 Walters State 13, Roane State 2 (5 Innings)
In game two, Walters State scored eight runs in the second inning to break things open.
Taylor led the way at the plate with a double, triple and four RBI. Conner, Morgan and Carson Cabbage each homered as well.
On the mound, Taz Butler (7-0) got the start and threw 3.2 innings. Butler allowed one unearned run on three hits and struck out four. Tyler Welch replaced Butler with two outs in the fourth and pitched the last 1.1 innings. He gave up one run on no hits and struck out three.
The Senators started things in the first, as Taylor doubled home two runs. Conner made it 5-0 in the second, smashing a three-run home run. The Senators added five more runs in the inning, as Sutton had an RBI single, Taylor had a two-RBI triple and Morgan smacked a two-run homer to make it 10-0.
In the third, Jack Vogele singled in a run and Ortiz scored on a wild pitch to make it 12-0. Roane State got a run in the bottom of the third, but Cabbage got the run back in the fourth with a solo shot that made it 13-1. Roane scored one more time in the fifth, but that was all.
Up Next:
Walters State and Roane State will play one final game tomorrow. The nine-inning contest is set for 1 p.m. ET.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics