After Game 1 Win, Pioneers Drop DH to Columbia State
By: Timothy M. Reece, Athletic Media Coordinator
Vol State was back home for week 3 of the TCCAA Conference schedule as they hosted the Columbia State Chargers on Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st. Columbia State came into Gallatin with a 7-11 overall record, but was 3-2 in conference play, having played at Dyersburg State, where they won both games, and home against Cleveland State, when they lost two of three. Vol State came into the series 12-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference.
The Pioneers started the series with a 12 run, 13 hit effort, including a career day for Gage Hoover (SO-LF), while starting pitcher Eben Hansen (SO-RHP) picked up his 1st win on the mound in 5 starts for Vol State, as they defeated the Columbia State 12-6 in the 9-inning game on Friday. Hoover had 3 home runs and 7 RBI's on the afternoon, becoming the first Pioneer since Noah Davis, from Hodgenville, KY, who hit 3 homers, in 3 straight at-bats, in a game on April 10, 2022, against Southwest TN. Hansen went 5.2 innings, scattering 6 hits and 2 walks, allowing 4 runs and striking out a career high 9 batters.
Vol State fell behind when Columbia State scored 2 runs in the top of the 4th. However, that would be the only time the Pioneers trailed in the game as they scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th and added 3 more in the 5th, to take a 7-3 lead. Easton Denning (FR-1B) picked up an RBI single, and Hoover followed with the 1st of his three home runs: a 2-run shot to dead CF. Scotty Dean (SO-C) followed with a solo home run to RF; his 2nd of the year.
In the 4th inning, after Columbia State got one back in the top of the inning, the Pioneers scored 3 runs on Hoover's 2nd home run in as many at-bats. He drove in Reed Muschinsky (R/SO-RF) and Denning, who had both singled.
Columbia State continued the pressure, scoring single runs in the 6th and 7th, getting to within 2 runs; 7-5. Vol State added a run in the bottom of the 7th on back-to-back singles by Dean and Devin Thrain (R/SO-CF), and a wild pitch that scored Dean. Again, the Chargers scored a lone tally in the top of the 8th inning to cut the margin to 2; 8-6. The Pioneers put the game away with another 4-run inning in the bottom of the 8th. Hudson Blank (FR-3B) singled to start the inning, and Brady Knepper (SO-SS) laid down a sacrifice bunt to get Blank to 2B. After a groundout, Muschinsky drove in Blank with a two-out single to RF. Denning doubled Muschinsky home, which set the stage for Hoover's 3rd home run of the game; another 2-run shot to RF, which closed out the scoring and gave the Pioneers a 12-6 lead. Muschinsky, Dean, and Thrain had 2 hits apiece, and Denning and Hoover collected three hits each. Gage Hoover was the obvious choice for Toyota of Gallatin Player of the Game.
Drew Morehead (FR-RHP), who relieved Hansen in the 6th inning, retired the final three batters in the top of the 9th, getting a ground ball, double play to end the game. Morehead finished with 3.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks, en route to his team-leading 3rd save of the year.
On Saturday, in game one of the DH, Vol State hitters were stymied by starter Adam Jamison who threw 5 shutout innings, giving up only 4 hits and 3 walks. Meanwhile, in the first 4 innings, Columbia State scored 7 runs on 10 singles, and a solo home run, while also taking advantage of 5 walks and a hit batter off starter Jack McLaury (SO-RHP) and Brady Davis (FR-RHP). McLaury (3-1) suffered his first collegiate loss in 7 decisions over his two years as a Pioneer.
The Pioneers were able to finally get on the scoreboard with a single tally in the 6th and 3 runs in the 7th. Thrain drove in the first run on a single to LF. In the 7th, back-to-back doubles by Drew Plummer (R/SO-2B) and Muschinsky made the score 7-2. A two out hit by pitch put Dean on 1B, with Muschinsky still at 2B. Another RBI single by Thrain drove Muschinsky home, and a wild pitch allowed Dean to cross the plate making the final score, 7-4, Columbia State. Plummer, Blank, and Thrain finished with 2 hits apiece and Thrain picked up 2 RBI's. Carter Waltz (SO-LHP) pitched the last 3 inning for the Pioneers and shutout the Chargers, only giving up 2 hits and 2 walks, and was named the Toyota of Gallatin Player of the Game
Game 2 of the DH was a dominating performance by Columbia State pitching as Dylan Alonso and Anthony Serrano allowed a lone single to Tucker Lorenz (FR-SS), while pitching a 5-0 shutout. The Chargers scored a run in the 2nd, another in the 4th, and 3 unearned runs in the 5th, and never looked back. Chip Harris (SO-RHP) got the start and went 3.2 innings before having to leave the game following a line-drive off of his upper thigh. Max Cassle (SO-RHP), relieved Harris, pitching to 2 batters in the 4th, and retiring the side. However, in the 5th, the wheels fell off, defensively, for Vol State, as they committed 4 errors and allowed 3 unearned runs which completed the Columbia State scoring. In his longest collegiate outing, Cassle went 3.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 3 unearned runs, and 3 walks and was named the Toyota of Gallatin Player of the Game.
After Vol State dropped two of three to Columbia State, their record dropped to 13-6 overall and 3-5 in conference play. The Pioneers are scheduled to travel to Decatur, AL to play Calhoun CC in a mid-week, 9-inning contest on Tuesday, before going to Dyersburg State in conference action next weekend.