Offense pours it on as No. 8 Walters State complete season opening sweep

JOHNSON CITY, TN – No. 8 Walters State wasted no time getting their offense going Sunday afternoon, completing their opening series sweep of USC Salkehatchie with a 15-0 win and 17-0 victory.  

Game two was resumed in the bottom of the fourth on Sunday after rain suspended play on Saturday evening. With the victories, Walters State improves to 3-0 on the season, outscoring the Indians 37-0 over the weekend. 

NO. 8 WALTERS STATE 15, USC SALKEHATCHIE 0  

After getting off to a slow offensive start in game one of the series, the Senators made sure that wouldn't happen in game two. The Senators scored two in the first, two in the second, nine in the third and two in the fourth on their way to the lopsided victory.  

The Senators had seven hits in the game with all seven hits coming from different players. Alberto Osuna led the charge with four RBIs and hit his first home run of the season. Caleb McNeely showed his power at the leadoff spot as well with a two-run home run in the second inning.  

Along with those two, Paul Moore also drove in three runs while Jerry Hammons had the other RBI.  

On the mound, Andrew Romanoli (1-0) got his first start of the season, throwing three innings and striking four. He allowed just a single hit. 

Peyton Calitri replaced Romanoli in the fourth and finished the game out, going two innings while also striking out four.  

Hammons got the scoring going early for the Senators singling home McNeely in the top of the first. Then, after Ellis walked, Hammons scored on a groundball from Osuna to make it 2-0.  

In the second, the scoring continued. Andrew Ott led off the inning with a walk and McNeely immediately drove him home with a home run over the fence in left center. Osuna got in on the home run fun in the third with a two-run bomb of his own over the scoreboard that made it 6-0.  

The Senators continued their offensive rampage in the third as McNeely scored Noah Gent on a sacrifice fly. Then, Ott scored on a passed ball and Skyler Cannady and Cam Fisher scored on wild pitches. Moore capped off the scoring with a bases clearing double that made it 13-0. 

The scoring concluded in the fourth as Ott scored on a double play and Osuna walked with the bases loaded to score Cannady.  

NO. 8 WALTERS STATE 17, USC SALKEHATCHIE 0 

Game three saw the offensive outburst continue for the Senators. Walters State scored two in the first, three in the third, three in the sixth, one in the seventh and eight in the eighth to finish it off.  

McNeely and Osuna were once again at the center of the offensive success at the plate. McNeely had three RBIs while Osuna knocked in four and hit another home run. Lukas Cook and Silas Butler both also hit their first home runs of the season while Gent, Alex Balisteri and Fisher each knocked in two runs.  

Walters State totaled 14 hits as a team.  

On the mound, eight pitchers saw action. Nolan Letzgus (1-0) got his first start of the season and picked up the win, throwing three hitless innings while also striking out three. 

Kohl Drake replaced Letzgus and threw a scoreless inning, striking out the side, before Nathan Morris and Robbie Yates each pitched scoreless innings. Brayden Matthews replaced Yates in the seventh with 2/3 of an inning before Nathan Hickman got the final out of the inning. In the eighth, Matt Dailey and Cannady combined to close the game out.  

At the plate, Ellis started things off in the first with a double that scored McNeely. He would later come around to score on a sacrifice fly by Osuna.  

Osuna was at it again in the third inning with another home run over the scoreboard, this one a three-run shot that made it 5-0. Osuna finished the series hitting .714 with two home runs and nine RBIs. 

In the sixth, it was McNeely who cleared the bases this time around with a three RBI double. After Balisteri knocked in a run with a sac fly in the seventh, the offense put the game to rest in the eighth. Cook led things off with a home run before Fisher doubled two home. Balisteri then doubled another run home, and Gent singled in two more. Butler capped off the onslaught with a two-run bomb to make it 17-0.  

UP NEXT: 

Walters State will be back action on Feb. 9 to take on King University JV. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.  

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics