Senators baseball closes out regular season with sweep of Columbia State

MORRISTOWN, TN – No. 3 Walters State survived a marathon opening game against Columbia State on Saturday afternoon with a 16-13 win, before taking a comfortable game two win, 6-1, to complete the sweep.

With the sweep, the Senators closed out the regular season with a record of 48-8 and were 21-5 in TCCAA play. 

"For this team, it means everything to close the regular season like this," Walters State right fielder Kruise Newman said. "We have been through the ups and downs and have battled all season through adversity and injuries. To come out here and get these wins and the series sweep to end the regular season, it's surreal and special for each and every one of us." 

GAME ONE: No. 3 Walters State 16, Columbia State 13

In game one, the Senators trailed by four going to the bottom of the sixth but rallied off seven runs to get the come-from-behind win. 

Kruise Newman led the way at the plate in the game with three hits and five RBIs. One of Newman's hits was a two-run bomb in the sixth that gave the Senators their three-run lead.

"Coach always tells me to stay simple and up the middle," Newman said. "I work hard in the cages and with my teammates on getting better. I feel like everything was flowing today and I went up there with confidence and did what I do best." 

Along with Newman, Angus Pence also hit a home run while Jarrett Martin knocked in three runs. Perhaps the biggest hit of the game came from Jackson Bryan as he pinch-hit in the sixth with the bases loaded and smoked a two-RBI double to cut the Columbia State lead to one. 

On the mound, Landon Crumbley got the start and threw 2.2 innings. He allowed seven runs, but just two earned, on four hits and struck out four. After Blake Cooper replaced him and pitched an inning, Taz Butler (1-0) entered and gave the Senators a much-needed outing. Butler allowed one run on four hits and struck out three. Butler kept the Columbia lead to four with two scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth.

In the seventh, Karson Bonaparte entered with a man on first and got a double play before getting a flyout to center to end the game. It was his second save of the season. 

It was all Walters State early in the game as the Senators scored four in the second to go up 4-0. Martin started things with a sacrifice fly before Newman singled home a run to make it 2-0. Pence had the big hit in the inning, mashing a two-run homer to make it 4-0.

However, Columbia answered in the third with seven runs to take a 7-4 lead. Not bothered, the Senators immediately struck back in the bottom half of the inning as Newman singled two home to cut the lead to one. After Keaton Ray scored on an error to tie the game, Caleb Marmo gave them the lead with an RBI single that scored Newman. On Marmo's single, Pence also scored after an error by the center fielder and the Senators led 9-7.

Not done, Columbia State came back in the fourth with six runs to take a 13-9 lead. That was where the score stayed until the 6th when the Senators made their push. Corbin Shaw started things off with an RBI single before Bryan came through with a two-RBI double to make it 13-12. Martin was next up and, with the infield in, blasted a ball past the third baseman to score two runs and make it 14-13 in favor of the Senators. Newman followed and quickly gave Walters State a three-run lead, blasting a home run. 

GAME TWO: No. 3 Walters State 6, Columbia State 1

In game two, the Senators scored two in the bottom of the first and that was all the pitching staff needed. 

Brayden Matthews (6-1) got the start for Walters State and was excellent. Matthews threw five innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. 

"I knew it was the last game, so I tried to take it in a little more," Matthews said. "We have done a lot here over the past three years. It was a lot of hard work put in and it was nice to see that pay off."

For Matthews, throwing up a zero to start the game was huge after the Chargers scored 13 runs in game one of the day. 

"That's kind of my job here, to get out here and basically close the door," Matthews said. "That's what I try to do every time. Thankfully, I got to do that today and what a day it was for the Walters State Senators." 

After Matthews, Coltin Reynolds came in to pitch in the sixth and got two outs before Brenden Pomerleau picked up the final out of the inning. In the seventh, Ryan Bender got the first two outs before Ty Cobb closed the game out. 

At the plate, Deniel Ortiz picked up three hits and drove in three runs, while Cole McCallum had two hits and made some nice defensive plays at third base. Preston Wright also had two hits in the game. 

Walters State came out quick in game two with two runs in the bottom of the first as McCallum singled in Marmo and Shaw scored Cooper Torres on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

In the second, Columbia picked up a run on a wild pitch but the Senators answered in the third as Ortiz smacked a two-run homer to make it 4-1. After a run came across in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Marmo, Ortiz concluded the scoring in the fifth with an RBI single to make it 6-1.

"It was huge to get this sweep going into the postseason," Newman said. "Clinching the division for us was huge and gives us some momentum. I think we're starting to peak at the right time." 

Up Next:

Walters State will have a week off before returning to play Monday, May 8th at Vol State for the TCCAA/Region 7 Tournament. The Senators will play at 1 p.m. CT against the 8/9 winner. 

"We just need to stay solid and play Walters State baseball," Newman said. "Just being able to field routine ground balls and hitting the ball out of the yard and playing for each other. That's what it is all about." 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics