UNION, SC – No. 2 Walters State bounced back from a 9-8 loss to USC Union in game one on Tuesday afternoon with 17 first inning runs in game two on their way to a 27-0 victory.
With the split, Walters State moves to 38-2 on the season.
The Senators homered eight times in the first inning with Matthew Ellis and Alberto Osuna homering twice in the inning. In total, Walters State homered 11 times in game two, including two grand slams.
USC UNION 9, NO. 2 WALTERS STATE 8
After a week off from play, the Senators got off to a quick start in game one on Tuesday but fell victim to an eight-run third inning that was too much to overcome.
At the plate, Walters State was led by Caleb McNeely and Nick Block with three hits apiece. Jerry Hammons and Noah Gent led the team with two RBIs apiece.
The scoring started for the Senators in the second inning as Andrew Ott scored Osuna on a sacrifice fly. Then, Walters State added three more in the top of the third. First, Hammons hit a two-run homer before Block doubled home a run to make it 4-0.
USC Union would answer back though and score eight in the third to take the lead. However, the Senators would not go down without a fight.
Silas Butler started the comeback in the fourth with a solo home run and Gent made it 8-6 with a fielders choice that scored Osuna. USC Union answered back with a run in the sixth to make it 9-6, but the Senators started off the top of the seventh strong as Gent singled in Cam Fisher and Lukas Cook doubled home Block. With runners on first and second and two outs, Hammons came up to the plate. Unfortunately, Hammons would fly out to end the game.
Jake Knapp got the start on the mound for Walters State and made it through two innings. Knapp gave up six runs on five hits while striking out three. Matt Dailey replaced him in the third and threw three innings, allowing two runs on three hits before Nathan Hickman gave up an unearned run in the sixth inning.
NO.2 WALTERS STATE 27, USC UNION 0
Whether angry or motivated after the loss, Walters State came out in game two on an absolute tear.
The Senators scored 27 runs on 22 hits. Osuna led the way for Walters State with a 4-for-4 game. He hit two home runs and had four RBIs. Ellis and Hammons both had three hits while Ellis and Declan Wiesner each had four RBIs. Cook led the team with six RBIs.
The first inning set the tone for the Senators with eight home runs. Ellis started it out with a bomb and Osuna followed suit right after him. Two batters later, Block got in on the fun with a two-run home run to make it 4-0 and Gent followed with a solo shot. Later, Walters State scored their only runs in the inning not from home runs when Hammons singled in two runs.
The next batter after Hammons was Ellis and he hit his second home run of the inning, this one a three-run bomb. Just like their first time up, Osuna followed right behind him with a solo home run that made it 11-0. Not to be outdone, Cook hit a grand slam four batters later. McNeely completed the inning with a two-run home run.
In the second, Gent hit his second home run of the game, a two-run bomb. Then, in the third the Senators added seven more runs with Wiesner capping it off with a grand slam. Osuna concluded the scoring in the fourth with a single that scored Ott.
Peyton Calitri got the start on the mound for Walters State and threw two hitless innings. Brayden Matthews replaced him in the third and threw a scoreless inning before Blake Cooper and Jacquez Gillespie-Taylor closed the game out with two scoreless innings.
UP NEXT:
Walters State will be back in action on Thursday for a single game against the Maryville College JV team. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics