GALLATIN, TN – Walters State's Ava Brooks snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with one swing of the bat on Saturday evening.
Trailing by two runs to No. 14 Volunteer State in the top of the seventh with two outs and runners on second and third, Brooks sent a ball well over the fence in center to give the fourth-ranked Lady Senators an improbable 8-7 lead. That would be the final score of the second game of the day, with the Lady Senators taking game one by a score of 6-5.
With the sweep, Walters State remains unbeaten at 34-0 and 18–0 in TCCAA play.
GAME ONE: No. 4 Walters State 6, No. 14 Volunteer State 5
In game one, the Lady Senators broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth and held on from there for the win.
Tori Coffman got the start in the circle and pitched a complete game. Coffman gave up five runs, four earned, on eight hits while striking out 11.
At the plate, Kailey Dixon, Kasey Bennett and Sarah King each had two hits while King drove in two runs.
Things started well for Walters State, as Jules Johnson hit a solo home run three batters in to give the Lady Senators a 1-0 lead. Vol State tied it in the third with a solo home run of their own, but Walters State scored four runs in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. Those runs came on a Brianna Beech sacrifice fly, a Brooks RBI single and a two-RBI double by King.
However, Vol State would not go away and tied the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Needing to get the momentum back, the Lady Senators did that in the top of the sixth as Bennett smacked a solo shot over the fence in left to make it 6-5.
From there, Coffman struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth and then struck out the final two batters of the seventh to secure the win.
GAME TWO: No. 4 Walters State 8, No. 14 Volunteer State 7
In the final game of the day, Walters State overcame a 7-2 deficit in the final three innings to keep their undefeated season alive.
The Lady Senators managed seven hits in the game, three being home runs. Those home runs came from Beech, Bennett and Brooks. Bennett was the only player with a multi-hit game for Walters State, picking up two hits.
Ashley Milligan got the start in the circle for Walters State and threw six innings. Milligan allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits while striking out four.
Holding onto the one run lead in the bottom of the seventh, Coffman entered and pitched the final inning to close the game out.
Things once again started well for Walters State as Tatum Dye hit an RBI-double in the top of the first before Johnson scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
However, things quickly turned in the bottom half of the inning as Vol State scored five runs. The Lady Pioneers added two more in the fourth to lead 7-2.
Needing a rally, Bennett got things started in the fifth with a leadoff home run. Four batters later, it was 7-5 as Beech hammered a two-run shot.
That would be the score until the seventh. Johnson and Dye led things off with a walk before Halle Laramie grounded into a fielder's choice that saw Johnson forced at third but allowed Laramie to reach. After a flyout failed to advance the runner, Brooks came up as the Lady Senators last chance. The runners moved up on a passed ball, and Brooks sent them home with a three-run blast to dead center to give Walters State an 8-7 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Coffman walked the first batter but got a fielder's choice, strikeout and groundout to end the game.
Up Next:
Walters State will be back in action on Sunday for two more games against Vol State. First pitch 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