Ruehl shines in Lady Senators sweep of Roane State

MORRISTOWN, TN – Lauren Ruehl had a day at the plate and in the circle for Walters State on Wednesday afternoon against Roane State, and the Lady Senators swept the Lady Raiders 9-6 and 12-1. 

With the sweep, the Lady Senators improved to 25-18 overall and 15-7 in TCCAA play. 

GAME ONE: Walters State 9, Roane State 6 

In game one, the Lady Senators trailed 4-3 heading to the bottom of the fourth but scored six runs and went on for the win. 

At the plate, Jaelyn McDaniel led the way with three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs. Brooklyn Copley also homered, while Brenna Hunley had two hits, a stolen base and two RBIs.

In the circle, Allie Jones got the start and gave up three runs on one hit. Summer Smith replaced her in the first and threw the next six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out two. Ruehl closed the game out in the seventh with a hitless inning, striking out one in the process.

It was Roane State that started quick in the game as two walks and a home run put them up 3-0 in the top of the first. The Lady Senators got a run back in the bottom of the first on a McDaniel RBI double and then cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second on a solo home run by Copley.

In the third, Walters State tied the game as McDaniel singled, moved to second on an Alayna Ross single, to third on an error and then scored on a failed back pick to third. Roane State briefly took the lead back with a run in the top of the fourth, but  Walters State broke away with six runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-4 lead. Those runs came on an Olivia Neese RBI double, a Randi Delong RBI single, a McDaniel two-run bomb and a two-RBI single by Hunley. 

The Lady Raiders got a run back in the fifth and then one in the seventh, but Ruehl entered with runners on first and second and got a strikeout and started a 1-6-3 double play that ended the game. 

GAME TWO: Walters State 12, Roane State 1 (5 Innings) 

Ruehl picked up where she left off in game two, throwing a complete game in the circle while also going perfect at the plate.

Ruehl got the start in the circle and threw all five innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out three. At the plate, Ruehl went 3-3 with a home run, double and three RBIs. 

Along with Reuhl at the plate, Neese smacked her first home run of the season and drove in three runs while Ross hit her 19th and 20th home runs of the season and drove in three runs. 

The Lady Senators struck first in game two, as Delong smacked a two-run homer and Ross hit a solo shot that made it 3-0. The lead increased to 5-0 in the second, as Ruehl smacked a two-run bomb way over the fence in dead-center. 

Roane State got on the board in the third with a solo home run, but the Lady Senators blew the game open with seven runs in the fourth. Those runs scored on a Neese three-run home run, a McDaniel RBI double, a Ross two-run home run and a Ruehl RBI double that made it 12-1.

Up Next:

Walters State will be back in action on Saturday, hosting Motlow State for Alumni Day. The doubleheader is set to begin at 2 pm ET.