CHATTANOOGA, TN – Kohl Drake couldn't recall a time he had 16 strikeouts in a game before.
That is, until Tuesday evening.
Taking on Columbia State in the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament, Drake struck out 16 batters in seven innings of work. Drake's offense helped him out, specifically Colby Backus who had two home runs in the game, as the Senators eased to an 8-0 win in seven innings.
With the win, Walters State improved to 53-5 on the season. They'll take on the winner of Chattanooga State and Cleveland State at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday with the winner advancing to the TCCAA/Region VII Championship.
"I just wanted to go out there and really make a statement here," Drake said. "Winning that game puts us so far ahead now. My goal was to just put our team in that spot that we're in now."
Just one day after being named the TCCAA Pitcher of the Year, Drake showed why as he improved to 13-0 on the season with the complete game shutout. Drake allowed two hits and walked just one batter. He struck out the side in three innings.
"I was able to throw out my three-pitch mix and had them all working for strikes," Drake said. "I kept all their hitters off-balance with that."
At the plate, Backus was unstoppable with a 3-for-4 day, including two home runs and five RBIs. It was his second multi-homer game of the season.
Backus' first home run jump-started the offense as it gave them a 1-0 lead in the first inning. His second home run was a three-run and came in the fourth that capped off the scoring and made it 8-0.
"That home run (in the first) just felt like it lifted the mood and showed that the ball will carry if you hit it right," Backus said. "We just have to keep that opposite field approach. The second one, I hit a ball foul down the line and coach Shelton told me to get back to that opposite field approach. So, that's what I tried to do."
Along with Backus, Caleb McNeely and Dalton McLain each had two hits while Noah Gent brought home two runs. McLain now has six hits in the first two games of the tournament.
As a team, Walters State had 11 hits and drew two walks.
Walters State started quick with Backus's home run in the first and would add three more in the fourth to make it 4-0. Those runs came on a Backus RBI single, and a Gent two-RBI single.
In the fourth, McNeely made it 5-0 with an RBI single. Backus capped things off with the three-run homer.
"I think that if we stay with our approaches, it's really hard to beat us," Backus said. "We have nine hitters in the lineup that can do a lot of damage. It's going to be hard to beat."
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics