HARRIMAN, TN – No. 14 Walters State got off to a strong start in the series opener Thursday afternoon against Roane State, hitting their way to a 17-4 win over the Raiders in seven innings.
With the victory, the Senators improve to 21-5-1 overall and 9-4 in TCCAA play.
Tyler Myatt and Jack Torbett led the way for Walters State in the hit column, each collecting three hits. Nate Conner and Jack Vogele both homered in the game, while Vogele scored four runs. Kenny Cox, Holden Pantier and Atticus Goodson each drove in two runs.
On the mound, Walker Morgan (4-0) got the start and threw four innings. Morgan allowed three runs on six hits and struck out two. Riley Franklin replaced Morgan in the fifth and threw the final three innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out four.
The Senators got on the board first in the opening inning with a solo home run by Vogele and then loaded the bases for Goodson, who was hit by a pitch to score a run. The final run of the inning came on an RBI single by Torbett that made it 3-0.
Conner increased the Walters State lead in the second on a solo home run, but Roane scored two in the bottom half of the inning to make it 4-2.
In the third, the Senators blew the game open with four runs. After Myatt singled and Pantier was hit by a pitch to open up the inning, Cox scored them both on a two-RBI triple. Following a balk that scored Cox, Goodson would come around later in the inning and score on a balk to make it 8-2.
Roane got a run back in the bottom of the third, but Walters State responded with four more runs to lead 12-3. Those runs came on a passed ball that scored Vogele, a passed ball that scored Myatt, an error that scored a run and a passed ball that scored Goodson.
The fifth inning saw two more runs come across the plate for Walters State, as Pantier doubled home Conner and Vogele to make it 14-3. Roane scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth, but Walters State scored three more times in the top of the seventh as Hayden Blair singled home a run, Goodson doubled in a run and Torbett scored Blair on a sacrifice fly to make it 17-4.
Up Next:
Walters State and Roane State will play two more games in Harriman on Friday afternoon. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 12 pm ET.