Smith’s one-hit shutout leads Lady Senators to sweep over Cleveland State

CLEVELAND, TN – Summer Smith was nearly perfect for Walters State in game one against Cleveland State on Wednesday, leading the way to a Lady Senators' sweep. Walters State won 8-0 in five innings in game one and followed it up with a 12-7 victory in game two.

With the sweep, the Lady Senators improved to 19-17 overall and 12-4 in TCCAA play.

GAME ONE: Walters State 8, Cleveland State 0 (5 Innings)

In game one, Smith fell just one pitch away from throwing a no-hitter and was phenomenal in the circle. 

Smith allowed just one hit, a two-out single in the fifth, didn't allow a walk and struck out two. 

At the plate, Addison Beech was a perfect 4-4, while Lauren Ruehl homered and drove in two runs. Alayna Ross and Jordan Pena drove home two runs, as well, and Kacey Pillion picked up two hits. 

Beech led the game off with a single and scored two batters later when Ross doubled. Ruehl was next up, and she made it 3-0 with a two-run homer. In the second, the Lady Senators added to their lead when Nyah Mullins singled in Pena and Ross scored Brittanie Layton on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.

In the fourth, Walters State kept it going with three more runs. Brenna Hunley singled with two outs, and she scored on a Pillion single. Following an Allie Seritt double, Pena singled her home to make it 8-0.

Meanwhile, Smith was money in the circle, erasing an error in the first with a double play and facing the minimum until the two-out single in the fifth. Smith bounced back from the hit, getting a flyout to center to end the game. 

GAME TWO: Walters State 12, Cleveland State 7

In game two, the Lady Senators had 17 hits and held off a late Cleveland comeback.

Ruehl homered again and had three hits for Walters State, while Hunley went 3-3 with an RBI. Brianice Silguero slugged a pinch-hit grand slam, as well. 

In the circle, Allie Jones got the start and threw 3.2 innings. Jones gave up two runs on six hits and struck out one. Ross pitched the next 1.1 innings, striking out one while not allowing a hit, and Smith threw the final two innings. Smith allowed five runs on six hits. 

Walters State went up 1-0 in the top of the third when Maysin Kannapin singled, moved to third on a Layton single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Beech. Cleveland State took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third, but the Lady Senators got the lead back in the fourth as Ross singled and Ruehl smoked a two-run home run. 

That was the score until the sixth, when Walters State went up 4-2. Ruehl led off the inning with a double, and she came around to score on a groundout by Pena. In the seventh, the Lady Senators tacked on eight more runs to go up 12-2. Those runs came on a bases-loaded walk that scored Layton, a wild pitch that scored Beech and Seritt, a sacrifice fly that drove in Ross and a grand slam by Silguero. Cleveland scored five runs in the bottom of the inning, but Smith got the final out to seal the win.

Up Next:

Walters State is back in action on Saturday, hosting Pellissippi State. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3 pm ET.