MARIANNA, FL – No. 17 Walters State completed an undefeated weekend on Saturday afternoon, run-ruling No. 12 Chipola 12-0 and defeating Southern Union State 7-0.
With the wins, the Senators improved to 10-0-1 overall. It's Walters State's best start to the season in over a decade.
GAME ONE: No. 17 Walters State 12, No. 12 Chipola 0 (5 Innings)
After needing multiple comebacks to defeat Chipola on Friday, Walters State flipped the script in game one Saturday and never let up.
Despite facing the reigning NJCAA Pitcher of the Week, the Senators scored two in the first, three in the second, one in the third and six in the fourth and starting pitcher Aiden Robertson held the Indians to just two hits in the five-inning win.
Leading the way at the plate for the Senators was Taylor Harris. Harris hit his sixth home run of the year and drove in four runs. Along with Harris, Kenny Cox had a double and drove home three runs while five others had RBIs for Walters State.
On the mound, Robertson (3-0) threw 4.1 innings and allowed just two hits while striking out eight. For the season, Robertson has allowed one run and five hits in 11.1 innings while striking out 22 batters.
Dakota Crumbley replaced Robertson with an out in the fifth and promptly got a 6-4-3 double play to end it.
Walters State got things going early, as Harris and Jack Vogele were hit by pitches in the top of the first. After Brantley Bamberg singled to score a run, Tyler Myatt made it 2-0 with a groundout that scored Vogele.
In the second, the Senators added to their lead. Kole Fenton led off the inning with a walk, and Jack Torbett singled to put two on with no outs. That brought up Harris, and he crushed the first pitch he saw over the fence for a three-run bomb that made it 5-0.
The Senators added another run in the third on an RBI single by Cox and then blew the game open with six in the fourth. Those runs came on an RBI single by Nate Conner, a sacrifice fly by Holden Pantier, a two-RBI double by Cox, a bases-loaded walk to Torbett that scored Myatt and a bases-loaded walk to Harris that scored Fenton to make it 12-0.
On the mound, Robertson was on cruise control as he struck out two in the first, one in the second, three in the third and two in the fourth.
GAME TWO: No. 17 Walters State 7, Southern Union State 0
In game two, the Senators got a great pitching performance from Gage Peterson and eased to the shutout win.
Peterson (1-0) got the start and threw 4.1 innings, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out seven. Jace Kirby replaced Peterson with an out in the fifth and threw the next 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Riley Franklin pitched the final inning and struck out two.
At the plate, Torbett and Conner had three hits each while Pantier had three RBIs. Conner drove in two runs, as well.
The game was scoreless until the top of the third when Conner doubled home Torbett and Pantier walked with the bases loaded to score Conner which made it 2-0.
That was the score until the seventh when the Senators scored five more times to blow the game open. Conner started things off with an RBI single, before Harris scored on a balk. It was 6-0 after a Pantier two-RBI single, and Carson Cabbage made it 7-0 with an RBI single.
Up Next:
Walters State will open up conference play next week, hosting Pellissippi State. Friday's game is set to start at 1 pm.