4th-ranked Senators close weekend with 7-4 win over No. 3 Florida SouthWestern

MARIANNA, FL – No. 4 Walters State bounced back from a 9-5 loss to Southern Union State earlier in the day Saturday by rallying in the final inning to defeat No. 3 Florida SouthWestern, 7-4. 

With the split, the Senators moved to 7-2 on the season.

GAME TWO: No. 4 Walters State 7, No. 3 Florida SouthWestern 4

In a battle of two Top 5 teams, the Senators scored four runs in the final inning to close the weekend with a win.

Walters State entered the seventh down 4-3, but Jackson Berry walked to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jaxon Walker was then hit by a pitch which brought up Kole Fenton. The sophomore shortstop delivered for Walters State, doubling to score Berry and tied the game at four.

Holden Pantier followed Fenton and gave the Senators the lead, doubling to score both Walker and Fenton. Pantier scored later in the inning on an error to make it 7-4. In the bottom of the inning, Florida SouthWestern put runners on second and third with one out, but Tim Tyler struck out the next two to end the game. 

Pantier led the way for Walters State in the game, homering and driving in five runs. Fenton had two hits, as well.

On the mound, Major Osbolt got the start and threw four innings. Osbolt allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits and struck out four. Tyler (3-0) replaced Osbolt in the fifth and pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. 

Florida SouthWestern got on the board first in the game with two runs in the second, but Walters State answered with three runs in the third when Pantier smoked a home run. Florida SouthWestern took the lead back in the third with two runs to make it 4-3, and that was the score until the seventh. 

GAME ONE: Southern Union State 9, No. 4 Walters State 5

In game one of the day, Southern Union scored five in the first inning and picked up the win.

At the plate, Fenton had two hits and two RBIs while Braeden Trajkovski drove in two runs. 

On the mound, Ryan Smith (0-1) got the start and gave up five runs, four earned. Bridger Hamilton replaced Smith with an out in the first and threw the next 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on one hit and striking out three. Hayden Mills threw the next two innings for Walters State and allowed two runs on one hit while striking out four. Lorenzo Atwell threw the sixth inning, setting Southern Union down 1-2-3 while recording two strikeouts.

After Southern Union scored five runs in the first, Walters State got one back in the second on a Luke Graham solo home run and picked up two more in the third on a Fenton home run. However, Southern Union scored one in the bottom of the third and three in the fourth to make it 9-3. The Senators scored two more runs in the fifth on a Trajkovski two-RBI single, but 9-5 was as close as they would get. 

Up Next:

Walters State starts conference play next weekend, traveling to Pellissippi State. Thursday's opener is scheduled for 12 pm ET.