Senators fall to Columbia State, run-rule Chattanooga State to stay alive in TCCAA/Region 7 Tournament

COLUMBIA, TN – Top-seeded Walters State fell 8-7 to two-seed Columbia State on Friday in the TCCAA/Region 7 Baseball Tournament, but the Senators bounced back with an 11-3 win over Chattanooga State in the nightcap to stay alive and advance to Saturday's Championship.

With the split, the Senators moved to 48-11 on the season. Walters State will play Columbia State in the TCCAA/Region 7 Championship Saturday at 3 pm CT. The Senators will have to beat the Chargers twice. 

GAME ONE: Columbia State 8, Walters State 7

In game one, the Senators scored three runs and loaded the bases in the ninth, but a strikeout ended the game. 

Jaxon Walker and Kole Fenton each had two hits in the game. Luke Graham and Drew Blalock hit solo home runs.

On the mound, Preston Allen (7-1) got the start and threw 4.1 innings. Allen allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits and struck out seven. Brady Scott replaced Allen and threw the final 4.2 innings. Scott gave up three runs on six hits and struck out seven. 

Walters State got the scoring started in the first, as Fenton doubled, moved to third on an error and scored on a Holden Pantier groundout. Columbia State tied the game with a run in the second and took the lead with a run in the top of the third, but Graham evened things back up in the bottom of the third with a solo shot.

The Chargers again took the lead back with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, but the Senators cut it to 5-4 with two runs in the sixth. Blalock got the scoring started with a solo home run, and Jackson Berry singled and Graham walked to put two on. That brought up Walker, and he singled to right to score Berry and cut the lead to one. 

That was the score until the ninth when Columbia State added three runs to make it 8-4. In the bottom of the ninth, Walker and Fenton led off with back-to-back singles. Following a flyout, Hayden Blair stepped up and singled to score Walker. The bases were then loaded after Blalock walked, and Fenton scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-6. After a strikeout put Walters State down to its final out, Miles Shore walked to load the bases back up. Justin Bell pinch-hit next, and he walked to score Blair and cut the Columbia State lead to one. 

Unfortunately for Walters State, that was as close as they would get. 

GAME TWO: Walters State 11, Chattanooga State 3 (7 Innings)

In game two, Pantier broke the Walters State career RBI record, and the Senators' pitching staff allowed just one hit in the win. 

At the plate, Pantier went 3-3 with two home runs and four RBIs. Pantier's four RBIs put him at 179 for his Walters State career, breaking Ramon Osuna's record of 176. 

Along with Pantier, Blalock homered again and drove in three runs while Brady Dalton had a triple and drove in three runs. 

On the mound, Hayden Mills got the start and threw 3.2 innings. Mills gave up three runs, two earned, on one hit and struck out three. Lane Sharp replaced Mills with two outs in the fourth and threw the next 1.2 innings. Sharp allowed no hits and struck out four. Colton Richards threw the final 1.2 innings, and he struck out two and didn't allow a hit. 

Chattanooga State got on the board in the top of the first with two runs, but Walters State got one back when Pantier belted a solo homer to center in the bottom of the inning. The Tigers picked up another run in the top of the second to make it 3-1, but Walters State broke the game open in the bottom of the third with six runs. Fenton led off the inning with a walk, and Pantier followed with a single. Following a strikeout, Blalock stepped up and gave Walters State the lead with a three-run home run. Kenny Cox followed with a single, and Shore and Bell walked to load the bases. Graham then drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, and Dalton followed with a two-RBI triple that made it 7-3.

Walters State's final four runs of the game came in the bottom of the fifth, as Graham doubled and scored on a Dalton RBI single. Fenton then walked, and Pantier smoked a three-run home run that made it 11-3. From there, Sharp and Richards were automatic to lock down the win.