MORRISTOWN, TN – Wesley Scott and Gio Rivera combined for a two-hitter Friday afternoon as top-ranked Walters State opened an important TCCAA series with a 4-1 victory over 12th-ranked Dyersburg at Ken Campbell Field.

Scott pitched the first five innings before Rivera threw four perfect innings in relief as the Senators won their 26th straight game and upped their record to 45-3 for the season.

A two-run homer off the bat of catcher Kory Klingenbeck put the Senators in front for good and left fielder Colby Backus celebrated his commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers with a long home run in the eighth to close the scoring.

Scott upped his record to 7-2 with the victory. He gave up both hits, walked two and struck out seven. Rivera was lights out when he came to the mound. He retired all 12 batters he faced and hit speeds over 96 mph a couple of times. Rivera fanned four, one in each inning.

Dyersburg, which fell to 34-9 for the season, did not have a baserunner after the leadoff batter in the top of the fourth.

It was the 20th conference win against a single setback for Walters State while the Eagles slipped to 17-5 in league play.

The powerful Senators attack produced just four hits off losing hurler Gianni Smith and two relievers. Smith pitched five innings and left after walking the leadoff man in the sixth. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out five.

Gavin Smith was the first relief pitcher and struck out four in two scoreless innings. Preston Martinez pitched the eighth and Backus hit the first pitch he threw into the batter's eye over the center field fence.

With one out in the third, the Eagles' Cooper Miles blasted his 10th round-tripper of the season to stake the Eagles to a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Andrew Ott singled with one out and Klingenbeck slugged his eighth home run on an 0-2  pitch. The ball crossed the fence between the scoreboard and the batters eye and provided the only runs the Senators really needed.

Klingenbeck talked about his home run. "He started me off with two hammering curve balls and I thought I was going to be waking back to the dugout.

"But I stayed with the approach and said to myself I'm going to hit this third curve ball and I took it for a ride," he continued. 

Rivera said he was comfortable on the mound. "I was feeling good out there today and was just trying to pound the zone," said Rivera. "I was trying to make pitches where our defense could make plays and get back in the dugout as quick as possible and score some more runs."

Rivera was asked if the warmer weather on Friday made it easier on a pitcher. "I think the warmer weather helps a little but at the same time I just go out there and do my best without the weather being much of a factor."

The teams had combined for 728 runs between them coming into the game so a low-scoring affair was probably not what the fans were expecting. But it was certainly what they got.

After each team had just six batters in the first two frames and exchanged the solo and two-run shots in the third, nobody really threatened until the bottom of the sixth.

Kruise Newman led off with a base on balls and Gavin Smith came on in relief. He promptly walked Backus and Noah Gent put down a sacrifice bunt that the first baseman bobbled and the bases were loaded.

After a strike out, Corbin Shaw smacked a sacrifice fly to right to give the Senators an insurance run they really didn't need. A strike out ended the inning and there was not another baserunner until Backus clubbed his home run leading off the eighth.

The two home runs brings Walters State's season total to 94 which is exactly twice the number of the second place team in the conference.

With two combined 11 strike outs from Scott and Rivera, Walters State now has 490 for the season while allowing 90 bases on balls making their ratio over 5-1.

UP NEXT

Walters State and Dyersburg State are set for a doubleheader at Walters State on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 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