Lady Senators split final two games of regular season with Cleveland State

CLEVELAND, TN – Walters State closed out the regular season on Saturday, dropping a 6-4 contest to Cleveland State before bouncing back with a 12-2 win over the Lady Cougars. 

With the split, the Lady Senators moved to 30-19 overall and 20-8 in TCCAA play. 

GAME ONE: Cleveland State 6, Walters State 4

In game one, the Lady Senators fell behind early and could not catch up. 

At the plate, Olivia Neese led the way with two hits and two runs scored. Brooklyn Copley and Abbie Young had the other two hits for the Lady Senators in the game. 

In the circle, Emma Myatt got the start and threw two innings. Myatt allowed five runs, four earned, on four hits and struck out three. Allie Jones pitched the next two innings for Walters State and allowed just one hit before Summer Smith threw two scoreless innings. 

The Lady Senators got on the board in the top of the first when Neese walked, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a groundout. However, Cleveland State answered with two runs in the bottom of the first and three in the bottom of the second to go up 5-1.

Walters State tried to get back into the game in the fourth when they loaded the bases with no outs. The Lady Senators then got a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-2, and it was 5-3 after Young doubled home Jaelyn McDaniel. 

However, Cleveland State got a run back in the sixth to make it 6-3. In the seventh, the Lady Senators rallied one final time when Neese singled and Emma Keck walked. Following a fielder's choice that put runners on the corners with two outs, an error scored Neese to make it 6-4 and put the tying run on first. Unfortunately, a flyout ended the game. 

GAME TWO: Walters State 12, Cleveland State 2 (5 Innings)

Game two was more what the Lady Senators have been used to over the final weeks of the regular season as they scored early and often. 

Neese led the way again at the plate with two hits and two runs scored, while Kendal Mason, Randi Delong, Alayna Ross and Young each drove in two runs. McDaniel had two hits, as well. 

In the circle, Smith got the start and threw two innings. Smith allowed one hit and struck out one. Jones followed her up with two innings, allowing two runs on two hits, and Makayla Ramsey closed things out with a clean fifth inning. 

For the second straight game, Walters State struck first in the top of the first. Mason was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a McDaniel double. In the second, seven more runs scored for the Lady Senators. Those runs came on a Young sacrifice fly, a Neese RBI bunt single, a Mason RBI double, a Ross two-RBI double and two errors that scored Delong and Ross to make it 8-0. 

In the fourth, Walters State scored their final four runs of the game. Young started things off with an RBI single, and Mason made it 10-0 with a groundout that scored Copley. The final two runs scored on a Delong two-RBI double that made it 12-0. Cleveland State picked up two runs in the fourth, but that was all.

Up Next:

Walters State begins postseason play next Saturday in the TCCAA/Region 7 Tournament at Chattanooga State. The Lady Senators will play at 5:30 pm ET.