WALTERS STATE WINS REGION; FACES GEORGIA HIGHLANDS IN DISTRICT

Walters State used a combination of pitching and hitting to win the 2022 TCCAA/NJCAA VII baseball championship this past week.  With the win, the #1 nationally ranked Senators are set to host Georgia Highlands from Region XVII in the Appalachian District on Tuesday, May 17, in a best of three series for the right to play in the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The Senators won four straight games to secure the championship.  They would defeat Dyersburg State 7-4 in the championship game.  Noah Gent would get things going in the bottom of the first with a two-run double, scoring Caleb McNeely and Nick Block.  Gent would score on a Corbin shaw sac fly to take a 3-0 lead after the first inning.  The Senators would add another run in the second before the Eagles would bounce back in the next two innings.  Jalen Fithian would score Cooper Miles with a triple and then score on an error to cut the lead in half.  They would add another run in the top of the fourth on a Pierre Seals sac fly, but the Senators would match it with a Dalton McClain RBI single for a 5-3 lead.  The Eagles would get closer in the top of the seventh on a Lukas Cook RBI single, but once again the Senators had an answer in the bottom of the inning.  Colby Backus would homer with one out, and Shaw would have an RBI double to close out the scoring.

Gent and Shaw ould each have two RBIs in the game while McNeely and McClain each had two hits.  The Senators used three pitchers in the game with starter Wesley Scott picking up the victory with three innings of work.  He gave up two runs (0 earned) on four hits and walk.  He had three strikeouts.  Geo Rivera would get the save with two innings of work, surrendering one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.  McClain would be named MVP of the tournament as he went 8 for 14 at the plate with 4 RBIs and two runs scored. 

Pierre Seals would go 10 od 19 at the plate with a double, three home runs, and seven RBIs in the tournament.  Kameron Johnson would also do well as he went 11 of 20 at the dish with one home run and ten RBIs.  

First pitch for Tuesday's game will be 2 pm EST.