Knapp, Backus help No. 5 Walters State complete sweep of Lake Land College

MORRISTOWN, TN – Walters State scored 10 runs in the first six innings on Monday and held off a late-inning rally by Lake Land College to complete the sweep, 12–8.

With the win, Walters State improves to 6-0 on the season. 

The Senators were led in the game by a strong start from Jake Knapp and an offensive display from Colby Backus. 

Knapp moved to 2-0 on the season with the win, throwing three perfect innings and striking out five. 

A starter in the rotation by the end of the last season, Knapp has improved over the offseason in all areas.

"We have a really good pitching staff, and we have all challenged each other and made us all better," Knapp said. "Personally, I think my off-speed has become more of a factor and is allowing me to get ahead in counts. I just try and believe in the guys behind me as well. We have a really good defense and that helps me a lot."

Bumped up in the lineup on Monday to second after hitting sixth on Sunday, Backus was unstoppable at the plate .

Backus gave Knapp some run support immediately as he blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. It was his third of the year.

Backus would finish the game with three hits, including a triple to go along with his home run, and knocked in four runs. He now has three home runs and 11 RBIs on the season.

A redshirt last year, Backus took full advantage of that year and is already seeing the benefits early in the season.

"I have improved on everything from last year to this year," Backus said. "It was a good year to see the pitching that I got to see last year. When you get to see that top tier pitching, it makes me able to hit everything else." 

Other standouts in the game at the plate besides Backus were Noah Gent with two hits, a home run, and two runs batted in, Jackson Bryan with three runs batted in and Nick Dagnello with the first home run of his Walters State career.

On the mound following Knapp, Luke Ferguson, Bracken Rice and Landon Slemp all pitched scoreless innings. Jaques Gilespie-Taylor relieved Slemp in the seventh and gave up five runs before Sebastian Fugate came in to get the final out of the inning.

Cooper Morgan would start the eighth on the mound and get two outs, allowing three runs, before Landon Crumbley came in to get the final four outs of the game. 

Following Backus' two-run homer in the first, Walters State added one more run in the inning on a Dalton McLain sacrifice fly and led 3-0 after one.

The Senators added three more in the second when Backus singled two in and Gent scored him on an error. Gent would knock in one more run in the fourth when he crushed a homer to make it 7-0.

After a scoreless fifth, the Senators were back at it in the sixth with three more runs. Backus got things started when he scored on a passed ball. Dagnello then blasted his home run over the fence in right before Bryan scored Caleb Marmo on a sacrifice fly.

The Lakers would not go away though and kept the game interesting with five in the seventh and three in the eighth. Needing a spark to get them going again, Bryan was there with an RBI double that scored two in the bottom of the eighth.

Crumbley closed the game out in the ninth. 

Up Next: 

Walters State will be back in action this weekend for a huge test. The Senators will travel to Chipola for two games against the host team, a game against Wallace-Dothan and a battle of 2021 JUCO World Series team when they take on No. 3 San Jacinto. 

It will be a big test for the Senators who are excited for the challenge.

"I think it is a great opportunity," Knapp said. "Whatever we see this weekend will be good for us. Our hitters will see good pitching and our pitching staff will face great hitting. It'll be a good place to see where we are at now, but it's not something that we will get too hung up on if it doesn't go our way. We still have some growing to do, but I do think we can go down there and shock some people."

Schedule for the Weekend:

Friday, February 11:

11 a.m. – Chipola

1:30 p.m. – Wallace-Dotham

Saturday, February 12:

11 a.m. – Chipola

1:30 p.m. – San Jacinto 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics