CUTHBERT, GA – No. 2 Walters State moved one step closer to the NJCAA World Series on Tuesday afternoon as they took down Andrew College 8-4 in game one of the Appalachian District Series.
The Senators will look to punch their ticket to Grand Junction, CO on Wednesday with game two of the series at 1 p.m.
On Tuesday, Walters State was led by Jerry Hammons, Alberto Osuna and Noah Gent. All three homered in the contest. Osuna had three hits as well to lead the team, including a three-run home run that put him over the 100 RBI mark, the first to achieve that feat in school history.
The Senators totaled 10 hits in the game and drew seven walks as a five-run fourth inning put them ahead in the contest for good.
On the mound, the Senators used four pitchers to get the win. Jake Knapp got the start and improved to 7-2 as he threw 5.2 innings. Knapp gave up two runs on five hits while striking out four.
In the sixth, Matt Dailey replaced Knapp and threw 1.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit before Peyton Calitri came in and picked up the final two outs of the eighth. Brayden Matthews closed the game out in the ninth with a scoreless inning.
The Senators actually fell behind early in game one as Andrew College scored one in the first and one in the second. Walters State would cut that lead in half in the top of the third when Hammons hit his 23rd home run of the season over the fence in right to lead off the inning.
Then, in the fourth, Walters State struck. After Andrew Ott and Silas Butler reached with one out, Caleb McNeely tied the game up with a double that scored Ott. Hammons would then walk to load the bases before Matthew Ellis gave the Senators the lead with a sacrifice fly that scored Butler.
The big hit came next as Osuna slugged a ball way over the fence in left for his 24th home run of the season. It gave the Senators a 6-2 lead. Walters State added one more in the fifth when Gent hammered a ball way over the fence in left for a solo shot.
After a scoreless sixth and seventh, Andrew College cut into the lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Walters State would respond though in the top of the ninth with an RBI groundout by Nick Block.
Matthews closed it out in the ninth for Walters State's 59th win of the season.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics