Walters State picks up two wins over Snead State in home opener

MORRISTOWN, TN – The home opener for the Walters State softball team on Friday was a successful one as the Lady Senators hit five home runs in two games against Snead State and won 9-1 and 8-0.

The doubleheader against the Lady Parsons were the fourth and fifth games Walters State played against the Alabama visitors and resulted in a combined run total of 46-2 in the series. The Lady Senators improved to 8-0 on the season and will next be in action on Tuesday as they play at Georgia Highlands.

In game one, Kasey Bennett did most of the damage for the Lady Senators as she smoked a pair of two-run homers to post four RBI's. She went to left field in the bottom of the first to bring Kailey Dixon in to make it 2-0 and then repeated the feat in the second when she had a blast to right. In the second, Halle Laramie followed Bennett with a solo homer of her own to make it 5-1. Home run number four of the contest came when Tatum Dye smacked a solo shot to left centerfield.

In the home half of the fourth inning, Dixon singled, stole second and then went to third on a throwing error by the Lady Parsons. She came around to score from third when Snead State tried to throw out Laramie on a steal attempt at second base. Walters State wrapped things up in the fifth inning when Dye doubled to right field, Sarah King walked and nine-hitter Olivia Harris brought them around to score on a double down the right field line to produce the 9-1 final score.

If there was a negative for the Lady Senators in the first game, it was the defense as Walters State committed three uncharacteristic errors. One of them resulted in an unearned run when Rylee Bartlett reached on a miscue and then scored on the second error of the second inning that put Julia Hurley on base.

Walters State hurler Tori Coffman picked up the win as she went five innings with three strikeouts, a walk, three hits and an unearned run. Reagen Cornelius was tagged with the loss as she threw four innings with three K's, a walk, six hits surrendered and six earned runs.

The home team scored three runs in the first inning in game two and never looked back from there as they won 8-0. Ashley Milligan and Adrienne Morrison combined for the shutout as Milligan threw four innings and allowed only one hit with Morrison coming in to close the door in the fifth. Lydia Westbrook took the defeat for Snead State as she gave up seven earned runs.

Laramie's two-run double highlighted the bottom of the opening inning and she later came home to score as Walters State went up 3-0. Abigail Taylor and Dixon singled to start the second and both scored when Taylor was plated on a fielders' choice and Laramie grounded out on the sacrifice to score Dixon. Dye left the park for a solo shot in the third and Jules Johnson's double to left field produced another run as Dixon raced home. Walters State loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth and Dixon walked things off with a ground out to make the final tally 8-0.

"They swung the bat enough, they did okay but I have seen them do a little better," Walters State head coach Larry Sauceman said of his team's offensive output against the Lady Parsons on Friday. "Our pitchers have been doing well all year, they are pretty good." Even though the Lady Senators had three errors in the first game, Sauceman said the Walters State defense has been solid for the most part in the early part of the season. "We were at home for the first time this year and it can be tough playing at home, especially when it's the first game out here with nerves and all that. I think this team is going to be good though."

Even though the Lady Senators are off to a good start, Sauceman said he sees a lot more potential from his offense. "I stress hitting a lot. The defense will be alright and the pitching will be alright too. We just have to score more runs as we will run up against some teams where the pitching will be pretty good. There will be changeups coming and we have to be disciplined enough to stay off that."

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics