No. 12 Walters State wins opener over Roane State, 8-5
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 |
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2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | X | 8 | 9 | 1 |
MORRISTOWN, TN – No. 12 Walters State scored five runs in innings five through seven on Friday afternoon against Roane State, and that was enough to grab an 8-5 win over the Raiders.
With the victory, the Senators improved to 19-5 overall and 10-3 in TCCAA play.
At the plate, Kenny Cox led the way with three hits and two RBIs, while Justin Bell smacked a two-run home run. Holden Pantier had two hits, two RBIs and two walks, as well.
On the mound, Preston Allen got the start and threw 4.1 innings. Allen gave up three runs on five hits and struck out seven. Colton Richards (2-0) replaced Allen and threw the next inning, allowing a run on three hits. Following 0.1 innings from Ryan Smith, Ryan Perkins entered and got two outs, striking out one while allowing a run.
Following Perkins, Sam Martell threw the final 2.2 innings and picked up his first save of the season. Martell allowed just one hit and struck out four. Martell has a 1.50 ERA in conference play, striking out 22 in 12 innings.
Roane State picked up a run in the top of the first, but Walters State answered with two in the bottom of the inning. Fenton led off with a single, moved to second on a walk, to third on a double play and scored on a Miles Shore drag bunt. Cox was next up, and he singled home Drew Blalock to make it 2-1.
In the second, Jaxon Walker walked with one out for the Senators, and scored when Pantier doubled him home to make it 3-1. That was the score until the fifth when Roane State scored two runs to tie it up. However, in the bottom of the inning, Cox singled and scored when Bell smoked a two-run home run to give Walters State a 5-3 advantage.
Roane State cut the lead to one with a run in the top of the sixth, but Perkins got out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to keep it a 5-4 game. The Senators picked that run back up in the bottom of the sixth, as Cox flew out but scored Hayden Blair to make it 6-4.
Roane State scored one more run in the game, a solo home run to lead off the seventh, but the Senators added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-5. Those runs came on a Pantier sacrifice fly that scored Bell and a Blair single that drove in Walker.
From there, Martell struck out the side in the eighth and pitched around a single and hit by pitch in the ninth to lock up the save.
Up Next:
Walters State will host Roane State on Saturday for two more games. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12 pm ET.
