HARRIMAN, Tenn. — After picking up two wins on Friday to open its road Tennessee Community College Athletic Association softball series at Roane State, Walters State had to scramble to win the series on Saturday.
The Lady Senators dropped the opening game of the second doubleheader of the four-game set, as they never could mount much of a threat in a 6-1 loss. The series finale was different, as Walters State led 6-4 going to the bottom of the seventh before the Lady Raiders rallied to force extra innings. The Lady Senators scored three runs in the eighth but had to hold off a furious charge by the home team for a 9-8 victory to win the series.
With the split, Walters State is now 21-13 on the year and 13-5 in TCCAA action. The Lady Senators now sport a 12-3 record in road games this season as well.
The Lady Raiders had a chance to win three of the four games in the series but took only one, as they are now 6-18 on the campaign and 4-12 in league action.
In the opening game of the day, the Lady Senators simply couldn't solve Roane State pitcher Lainey Mays. Less than 24 hours after she held WSCC to three runs in a defeat on Friday, Mays allowed just one run, on a fifth inning solo homer by Olivia Wheeler, and seven hits in a complete-game effort. She only allowed one Walters State base runner past second base other than the homer.
Wheeler and Jenica Brown both had two hits in the contest, with Keeley Quillen and Tia Wilson both ripping doubles and Sydney Fox adding a single in the loss.
Delilah Malczewski took the loss after giving up six runs on eight hits in the contest. Lauren Brickey tossed a scoreless sixth inning in relief.
In the finale, Quillen, Maggie Middleton and Kallyn Newport each had three hits, with Newport and Middleton both hammering home runs. Tia Wilson added two hits with a double, while Wheeler and Taylor Henson both doubled in the win. Newport drove in three runs, while Quillen had two RBIs and Middleton, Wheeler and Wilson all had an RBI.
The Lady Senators led 2-1 after an inning of play, but a three-run third put the Lady Raiders on top, 4-2. WSCC got a run back in the fourth on Newport's solo homer and two more in the fifth and Middleton's solo shot in the seventh gave WSCC a 6-4 lead. Roane State rallied to force extra innings before RBI doubles from Wilson and Wheeler and an RBI single from Quillen gave the Lady Senators a 9-6 cushion.
Roane State rallied again, scoring two and loading the bases in the bottom of the eighth before Malczewski got a fly ball to end the threat and the game.
Malczewski (11-6) grabbed the win after tossing the final five innings of the game and allowing four runs. Brickey surrendered four runs in the first three innings of the game.
The Lady Senators will be back on the diamond next weekend to begin a four-game road series in TCCAA play against Cleveland State. The first doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. on Friday, with the final two games set for Saturday at noon.