Pioneers Lose Series to Roane State
By: Timothy M. Reece, Broadcaster, VolState Sports Network
Game 19 – Saturday, 3/16/2024 (Gm 1) Roane State 2 - Volunteer State 1
Volunteer State travelled to Harriman, TN to take on the Roane State Raiders in week 3 of Region 7 conference action. Roane State (15-13) came in with a conference record of 3-3 having played Jackson State (1-2) and Columbia State (2-1). Vol State (7-11, 1-4) lost 3 straight games to Chattanooga State after splitting two games with Motlow State.
Caleb Pica, Sophomore LHP, got the start for the Pioneers in game 1 and had an outstanding performance, pitching a complete game, striking out 8 while only giving up 3 hits and 2 walks. Pica retired the side in order 4 of the 6 innings he pitched. However, in the 4th inning, after walking the leadoff batter, Luke Lowery, Freshman OF, hit his 6th homerun of the year to put Roane State up 2-0. The homerun was the first hit of the game for the Raiders. Pica scattered 2 singles and a walk through the next 2.2 innings.
Vol State batters were able to collect 6 hits and drew 4 walks but could not score until a leadoff homerun by Reggie Cooper, Sophomore OF, in the 7th inning, which cut the deficit to 2-1. A pinch-hit single by Drew Plummer, Redshirt Freshman, and a sacrifice bunt by Logan Molnar, Sophomore SS, put the tying run in scoring position. A couple groundouts ended the threat and Vol State (7-12, 1-5) fell for the 4th straight conference game.
Pica (0-5) took the loss but lowered his ERA to 4.15. Other than Cooper, five other Pioneer batters only managed singles and Plummer was the only other runner to reach 3rd base during the game.
Game 20 – Saturday, 3/16/2024 (Gm 2) Roane State 9 - Volunteer State 1
In game 2 of the DH, the Roane State Starting Pitcher only lasted 3 batters. Logan Molnar, Sophomore SS, led off with a single to CF. The next 2 batters walked, loading the bases. Roane State Head Coach, Cam Hamsley, sent in Carter Oliff, Sophomore RHP, who induced the first batter he faced to ground into a double play, which scored Molnar. Oliff did not surrender another hit the remainder of the game, and only allowed one walk, going 7 innings of no-hit, shutout baseball.
Caiden Johnson, Sophomore LHP, got the start for the Pioneers, and once again struggled with control. In 2.1 innings of work, Johnson (2-1) walked 5 and hit 1 batter, while only giving up an infield hit. He was charged with 3 runs, but only one was earned. Johnson did strikeout 5 Raiders, including the side in the 2nd, working around the infield hit and an error, before being replaced after a hit batter and consecutive walks loaded the bases with one out. Brett Dowling, Sophomore RHP, came in the game and struck out the 2 batters he faced. However, a balk allowed a run to score, giving Roane State a 3-1 lead.
The Raiders blew the game open in the bottom of the 4th, scoring 6 runs on 3 Pioneer Pitchers. Roane State combined a single, double, and a homerun with 3 walks and a hit batter, while sending 9 batters to the plate. Roane State then cruised to the 9-1 win, giving Vol State (7-13, 1-6) their 5th straight conference loss, and their 3rd 1-hit game of the season.
Game 21 – Sunday, 3/17/2024 Roane State 14 - Volunteer State 4
In game three of the series, Volunteer State was looking to salvage one game to keep from being swept for the second straight conference series. The Pioneers sent Freshman RHP, Trent Miller, to the mound for his first collegiate start in his 6th appearance of the year.
The start did not go as Miller had envisioned, as he walked 7 of the 14 batters he faced, only retiring 3 in the 1+ innings that he threw. In the 1st inning, Miller gave up a double and a single, while walking 5 batters. Roane State pushed across 5 runs, of which 4 were earned, as a bases loaded, two out error, allowed the 5th run to score.
Miller (0-2) returned for the bottom of the 2nd inning, however, walked the first two batters and was replaced by Noah Ward, Sophomore RHP. Ward allowed both of the inherited runners to score on a double, a walk and a double-play ground ball. At the end of 2 innings, the Raiders led 7-0.
Roane State added 2 more runs in the 3rd on a homerun, three singles, and a wild pitch. Vol State was able to get on the board in the 5th inning, scoring 3 runs. A couple walks and a single by Zach Zimmerle, Red-shirt Freshman, loaded the bases with one out. Kanon Lewis, Red-shirt Sophomore DH, and former Raider, drove in the first 2 runs with a single to right CF. Conner Paul, Freshman 1B, drove in Zimmerle with a single to left CF, making the score 9-3 Roane State. Paul and Zimmerle each finished the game with 2 hits. The Pioneers totaled 9 hits for the game.
The Raiders put the game away in the bottom half of the inning, scoring 4 runs on 5 singles, 2 walks, and a hit batter. Noah Eatman, Sophomore RHP, had retired the side in order in the 4th inning, the first time that had happened in the series since Caleb Pica did it four times in game one. However, Eatman was not as fortunate in the bottom of the 5th, as the first 5 batters reached on hits or walks. Eatman was then relieved by Caden Trigg, Freshman RHP, who did not fare much better, as 2 singles and a hit batter drove in 3 runs, making the score 13-3.
In the 6th inning, Corbin Overbay, Sophomore 2B, Drew Plummer, Red-shirt Catcher, and Logan Molnar, Sophomore SS, each singled to score the 4th run of the game for Vol State. However, the rally ended with successive infield pop outs. Roane State scored the game ending run on a single in the bottom of the 8th inning by Det Detwiller, Sophomore 1B, who went 4-4 in the game. Roane State won 14-4, and the game ended early due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Vol State fell to 7-14 overall, and 1-7 in conference play, having lost 6 conference games in a row. Next up for the Pioneers was a home DH against BCA Post Grad on Wednesday, March 20th.