No. 17 Walters State sweeps doubleheader from No. 14 Gaston, 5-4 and 7-5 

GASTONIA, NC – No. 17 Walters State grabbed two wins in their first ranked games of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 14 Gaston College 5-4 and 7-5.

With the doubleheader sweep, the Senators improved to 5-0 on the season.

GAME ONE: No. 17 Walters State 5, No. 14 Gaston College 4

In game one, Walters State hit back-to-back home runs to start the game and held on for a one-run victory.

Walker Morgan (2-0) got the start on the mound for the Senators and threw four innings. Morgan didn't allow a run and struck out three.

Morgan was replaced in the fifth by Rowan Park, and he allowed two runs while getting an out. Brady Scott replaced Park with one out in the fifth and threw the remainder of the game, picking up the save. Scott allowed two runs on three hits in his 2.2 innings of work and struck out two. 

The Senators could not have started any better in the game, as Taylor Harris hit the third pitch of the game over the fence to give Walters State a 1-0 lead. It was 2-0 just a few pitches later, as Nate Conner smoked a home run over the fence in right-center. 

Walters State made it 3-0 later in the game when Holden Pantier smacked a solo home run. Gaston scored two runs to cut the lead to 3-2, but Pantier went yard again for another solo home run. 

From there, Walters State picked up one final run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Brantley Bamberg that scored Conner, who doubled earlier in the inning. The Senators were then greatly benefited by Conner in the bottom of the seventh when he made a diving catch with no outs and doubled off the tying run at first base. Scott got the next batter out, and Walters State picked up the win. 

GAME TWO: No. 17 Walters State 7, No. 14 Gaston College 5

In game two, the Senators again got out to a big lead and held on for the victory. 

Aiden Robertson (2-0) was excellent on the mound for the Senators, going four innings. Robertson allowed just two hits and struck out eight. 

Robertson was replaced by Dakota Crumbley in the fifth, and he threw the next 1.1 innings. Crumbley gave up three runs on two hits and struck out one. After Jace Kirby allowed two runs and struck out two in 0.2 innings of work, Matthew Porchas replaced Kirby in the seventh and picked up his first save of the season, striking out the side to close the game out. 

At the plate, Morgan smoked a three-run home run while Harris hit his second leadoff home run of the day. Bamberg had two RBIs, as well. 

For the second straight game, Harris led things off with a home run, this time taking the first pitch of the game deep. 1-0 was the score until the fourth when Bamberg made it 3-0 with a two-RBI single. 

The Senators added to their lead in the fifth inning, scoring four times to go up 7-0. Jack Torbett reached on an error to lead off the inning and advanced to third on an error that also allowed Harris to reach base. Torbett scored on a Pantier sacrifice fly and after Vogele was hit by a pitch, Morgan added the final three runs with a no-doubt home run. 

Gaston picked up five runs in the sixth to cut the lead to two, but Porchas struck out the side in the seventh to close things out.

Up Next:

Walters State and Gaston will play two more times on Sunday, this time at Walters State. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12 pm.