Lady Senators pick up first two games over Jackson State

MORRISTOWN, TN – After playing the last 14 games away from home, No. 5 Walters State returned to Morristown on Saturday, taking two games from Jackson State. The Lady Senators shutout Jackson State, 4-0, in game one before taking game two, 10-6. 

With the wins, Walters State improved to 24-0 overall and 10-0 in conference play. 

"Two wins," Walters State coach Larry Sauceman said. "We have to pitch a little better in that second game. We hit a little bit and maybe tomorrow we can get after it a little bit more. Tori (Coffman) was really good again for us today in game one. We'll go again tomorrow."

GAME ONE: No. 5 Walters State 4, Jackson State 0

Tori Coffman (13-0) struck out the first nine Jackson State batters in game one, and the Lady Senators were off from there. 

Coffman finished the game allowing one hit, a ball that just glanced off her glove in the fourth, while striking out 13. She now has 130 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched this season, allowing just two earned runs. She has not allowed an earned run since Jan. 28. 

Offensively, Sarah King led the way with two hits. One of those hits was a three-run homer in the second inning that got Walters State on the board.

Along with King, Kailey Dixon and Ava Brooks each had two hits. Halle Laramie, Kasey Bennett and Olivia Harris had the other three hits for the Lady Senators. The other run for Walters State came in the sixth inning as Harris singled to score Brooks and make it 4-0. 

GAME TWO: No. 5 Walters State 10, Jackson State 6

In game two, Bennett and Jules Johnson combined for six hits and seven RBIs as the Lady Senators completed the Saturday sweep.

Bennett was 3-4 in the game with a home run and four RBIs while Johnson had three hits, two of them being home runs, and drove in three runs. 

Behind them in the lineup was Tatum Dye who collected two hits, one being a homer, and drove home two runs. 

In the circle, Ashley Milligan got the start and threw 5.2 innings. Milligan gave up six runs on six hits while striking out three. Adrienne Morrison pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing no runs and striking out two. 

After a struggle at the plate in game one, Walters State came out hot in game two as Johnson smacked a two-run homer in the first and Dye followed with a solo shot to make it 3-0. 

Jackson got two runs back in the second, but the Lady Senators answered with a run in the third on a Brooks RBI single that made it 4-2. 

In the fourth, Walters State blew the game open as the Lady Senators loaded the bases for Bennett. Bennett came through with a bases-clearing double to make it 7-2. Bennett would come around to score two batters late on a Dye RBI single. 

However, Jackson would not go away as they scored four in the sixth to make it 8-6. Needing some insurance, the Lady Senators got it with the first two batters of the bottom half of the inning, as Bennett and Johnson hit back-to-back solo shots. 

That was enough as Morrison got the final three outs to secure the win.

Up Next:

Walters State will be back in action on Sunday for another doubleheader against Jackson State. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics