Vol State Baseball Summaries – Week 4
By: Timothy M. Reece, Broadcaster, VolState Sports Network
Game 9 – Saturday, 2/24/2024 Indian Hills CC (IA) 4 - Vol State 1
Volunteer State travelled to Millington, TN, to play in the Babe Howard Classic at the USA Stadium complex. The opponent for game 1 of the Saturday doubleheader was Indian Hills CC from Centerville, Iowa who play in Division I, Region 11.
Caleb Pica, Sophomore LHP, Nashville, TN, got his 4th start of the year and took the loss despite throwing 6 innings (complete game), giving up 4 hits, 4 runs (1 earned), with 1 walk and 9 K's. Pica retired the first 8 Warriors of the game before surrendering back-to-back singles which sandwiched a stolen base to give Indian Hills a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 3rd.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the 6th when Indian Hills scored 3 unearned runs on a single, two Pioneer throwing errors on successive plays, an infield pop-fly double, and a sacrifice fly. Pica deserved better in the inning and could have given up only the lone 1B except for the infield error, which would have made 2 outs with a runner possibly at 3B. The next batter hit a pop fly to the SS side of 2B that would have been a routine out had the infield been playing at normal depth. However, being down 2-0 and a runner on 3B, Vol State had to play the infield in with only one remaining trip to the plate. The pop-fly dropped safely for a double. He then stole 3B and scored on a sacrifice fly, making the score 4-0.
In the first 6 innings on offense, Vol State (3-6) could only muster 2 hits – one each by Brady Knepper, Freshman IF, Greenbrier, TN, and Landon Lutterman, Sophomore 3B, Knoxville, TN. To that point, only Lutterman made it as far as 2B. In the 7th inning, Zach Zimmerle, redshirt Freshman OF, Hendersonville, TN, led off with a single to leftfield. Gage Hoover, Freshman OF, Smyrna, TN, pinch hit and drove in Zimmerle with a double down the RF line, making the score 4-1. The rally fizzled and Pica (0-2) took the loss while lowering his ERA to 2.45.
Game 10 – Saturday, 2/24/2024 Vol State 12 - Elgin CC (IL) 1
In game 2 of the Saturday DH at the Babe Howard Classic, Volunteer State took on Elgin CC, from Chicago, IL. The Spartans play in Division II, Region 4 and had not played a game yet in 2024 until they lost to Indian Hills CC prior to taking on the Pioneers.
Caiden Johnson, redshirt Sophomore LHP, Huntsville, AL, took the mound for the Pioneers and continued the outstanding starting pitching for the day by tossing a 5-inning no-hitter. With the Pioneers leading 12-0 going into the top of the 5th inning, Johnson gave up 1 unearned run in the mercy-rule shortened game, otherwise, he would have added a shutout to his early season resume. Johnson (2-0) finished with 1 walk, 1 HBP, and 6 K's while staying undefeated with a 0.00 ERA.
The Pioneer offense only had 4 opportunities to score, but took advantage collecting 12 hits including 4 doubles. All 12 runs were driven in and 5 players had multiple RBI's. Vol State scored 2 runs in the 2nd inning with back-to-back RBI 2B's by Reggie Cooper, Sophomore OF, Smyrna, TN, and Drew Plummer, redshirt Freshman MIF, Spring Hill, TN, to take a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers then sent 7 men to the plate in the 3rd inning, including singles by Zach Zimmerle, redshirt Freshman OF, Hendersonville, TN, and Walker Strange, redshirt Freshman DH, Knoxville, TN, and a 2B by Christian Dunn, Sophomore Catcher, Collierville, TN. Vol State led 5-0 after 3 innings.
In their last at bat of the day, Vol State (4-6) sent 12 batters to the dish to face 2 Spartan pitchers. 6 hits, 3 walks, and a couple stolen bases produced 7 runs and gave the Pioneers a 12-0 lead. Logan Molnar, Sophomore SS, Thompson Station, TN, picked up his 2nd hit of the day, as did Strange, Cooper, and Plummer. Connor Paul, Freshman 1B, Brentwood, TN, and Landon Lutterman, Sophomore 3B, Knoxville, TN, collected 2 RBI's each on a single and double, respectively. Dunn, Paul, Cooper, and Plummer finished with 2 RBI's each, while Lutterman had 3 RBI's.
Game 11 – Sunday, 2/25/2024 Southeastern CC (IA) 16 - Vol State 6
The final game of the Babe Howard Classic in Millington, TN, was a scheduled 9 inning affair against the 2nd straight Division II opponent, Southeastern CC, West Burlington, IA, who finished runner-up in the DII World Series in 2023.
The game started well for Volunteer State as they scored 1 run in the 1st, 1 run in the 3rd, and 4 runs in the top of the 4th inning to take a 6-2 lead. Logan Molnar, Sophomore SS, Thompson Station, TN, led off the game with a triple down the RF line and came in to score on a single by Connor Paul, Freshman 1B, Brentwood, TN. The Blackhawks tied the game in the bottom of the 1st after a leadoff double of their own and a couple flyouts. Starting Pitcher, Parker White, Sophomore LHP, Knoxville, TN, was helped out of further trouble when Lex Falsone, Freshman Catcher, Smyrna, TN, threw out a would-be base stealer after he reached on a fielding error.
Neither team scored in the 2nd inning, but Vol State broke the tie in the 3rd with a leadoff infield single by Drew Plummer, redshirt Freshman MIF, Spring Hill, TN, a walk, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Zach Zimmerle, redshirt Freshman OF, Hendersonville, TN. However, once again, Southeastern's lead-off batter reached on a 2B to the right centerfield gap, where the wind was blowing all game long. He scored following another infield throwing error, which tied the game 2-2.
The Pioneers erupted for 4 runs in the top of the 6th to take a 6-2 lead. Two lead-off walks preceded a double down the 3B line by Drew Webster, Sophomore OF, Nashville, TN, which drove in the 1st run of the inning. The next 3 scored quickly as the next batter, Landon Lutterman, Sophomore 3B, Knoxville, TN, hit his 1st HR of the year into the right centerfield jet stream. Those would prove to be the final runs scored by Vol State as they would only collect 2 hits the rest of the game – another single by Lutterman and a single by Christian Dunn, Sophomore DH, Collierville, TN.
The Blackhawks scored 12 runs in the next 3 innings, against 4 Vol State Relievers, to take a 14-6 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th. A walk-off 2-run, 2-out, pinch hit HR ended the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule. Brett Dowling (0-2), Sophomore RHP, Mt. Juliet, TN, took the loss after tossing 1 inning in relief, giving up 2 hits, 1 run (unearned), 1 HBP, and collecting 2 K's. The Pioneers defense struggled as they committed 5 errors which led to 7 unearned runs.
The Pioneers finished 2-3 for the week and held an overall record of 4-7. TCCAA Conference play begins this coming weekend at Motlow State, Tullahoma, TN.