Senators drop opening game of TCCAA/Region VII Tournament to Motlow State

COLUMBIA, TN – Top-seeded Walters State fell in their opening game of the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament to eighth-seeded Motlow State on Sunday afternoon, 9-8.

With the loss, Walters State fell to 44-13 on the season. The Senators will play Cleveland State on Monday morning at 10 a.m. CT in an elimination game. 

At the plate, Logen Sutton led the way with a home run and four RBI. Walker Morgan drove home two runs, while Brantley Bamberg and Zion Taylor each had two hits. 

On the mound, Taz Butler got the start and threw two innings. He gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits and struck out one. Rowan Park replaced him in the third and threw the next three innings, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out two. Next in line was Luke Ferguson, and he threw 1.2 innings. He allowed five runs on five hits and struck out two.

Rounding out the pitching was Jonny Stevens, he walked one, Aiden Robertson with 1.1 innings, he struck out three, Karson Bonaparte (10-3) with 0.1 innings, he gave up two runs on two hits, and Drew Horn with two strikeouts to get the final two outs in the top of the ninth. 

Motlow State got on the board with a run in the top of the first, but the Senators immediately tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with a Sutton fielder's choice that scored Nate Conner. 

Motlow retook the lead with a run in the top of the second, but Walters State tied the game in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Sutton that scored Conner.

That was the score until the sixth, when Walters State scored three runs to take a 5-2 lead. Taylor led things off with a double, and Jarrett Martin walked to put two on. That brought up Bamberg, and he singled in Taylor. After a wild pitch moved both runners up a base, Morgan gave Walters State a three-run lead with a two-RBI single. 

However, Motlow State regained control in the top of the seventh with five runs to take a 7-5 lead. Needing a spark, the Senators got it in the bottom half of the inning. Deniel Ortiz walked to start things, and Sutton tied the game with a two-run homer to left. After a Taylor double, Martin doubled to score him and make it 8-7.

The two teams traded zeroes in the eighth, but Motlow scored two in the ninth to grab a 9-8 advantage. Walters State went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth. 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics