Pioneers Lose Series to Columbia State
By: Timothy M. Reece, Broadcaster, VolState Sports Network
Game 24 – Saturday, 3/23/2024 (Gm 1) Columbia State 3 - Volunteer State 0
Volunteer State played host to the Columbia State Chargers for another delayed start to a TCCAA conference series. Due to rain for the 3rd straight Friday in Tennessee, the schedule changed to play the DH on Saturday and the single, 9-inning game, on Sunday. Volunteer State and Columbia State were two teams headed in opposite directions in the conference standings. The Pioneers had lost 6 straight games in conference play, while the Chargers had won 4 straight in conference and 7 in a row overall.
Caleb Pica, Sophomore LHP, a Lipscomb University commit, again got the start in the opening game of a series; his 8th start of the year. He was still looking for his first win of the year and started off well stranding a runner in each of the first 2 innings. However, in the 3rd, Pica's control wavered, as he walked 2 batters and hit 1, in addition to allowing 2 singles, all of which resulted in a 2-0 lead for Columbia State. The Chargers added another run in the 7th off reliever Brett Dowling, Sophomore RHP, on 3 walks and a sac fly.
Vol State could not solve Charger's Starting Pitcher Grayson King, Sophomore RHP, who has committed to North Carolina A&T. The Pioneers finished with 4 hits, all singles. Conner Paul went 2-2 and was also hit by a pitch. Vol State did load the bases in the 4th inning, with one out. King then struck out the next two batters to keep the Pioneers off the board.
King went 6 innings, giving up 4 H, 0 R, 3 W, HP, and 6 K and got the win. Pica also threw 6 innings, giving up 5 H, 2 R, 3 W, HP, 6 K, and took the loss, falling to 0-6. Vol State fell to 9-15, 1-8.
Game 25 – Saturday, 3/23/2024 (Gm 2) Columbia State 11 - Volunteer State 0 (5)
Caiden Johnson, Sophomore LHP, got the start in game 2 of the DH and was able to pitch around 3 walks in the first 2 innings, with the aid of 4 K's. However, a hit batter and a HR by Jaxson Diamond, Sophomore RF, gave Columbia State a 2-0 lead.
In the 4th inning, the Chargers sent 10 batters to the plate, collecting 3 hits, 3 walks, and a hit batter, scoring 5 runs off three Vol State Pitchers. Three of those runs were charged to Johnson (2-2) as he finished with 3.1 innings, 2 H, 5 R, 4 W, 3 HP, and 6 K.
Columbia State scored 4 more runs in the 5th inning, again aided by a hit batter, a couple walks, and extra base hits by Charlie Davis, Sophomore 3B, and Diamond, as Columbia State took an 11-0 lead, ultimately winning in 5 innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.
The Pioneers (9-16, 1-9) only managed 2 hits against Cole O'Brien, Sophomore RHP, a Lipscomb University commit, who threw a 5-inning complete game; a single by Nathan Aguilar, Freshman 3B, and a pinch-hit single by Cam Hodges, Red-shirt Freshman OF. Only one Pioneer batter reached 3B in the game. The shutout loss was the 2nd in a row and 3rd of the year.
Game 26 – Sunday, 3/24/2024 Columbia State 16 - Volunteer State 3 (7)
In game 3 of the Columbia State conference series, the Pioneers saw the first lefthander on the mound for the Chargers. Dylan Kazee, Sophomore LHP, committed to Austin Peay State University, got his 6th start, but had only thrown 12.2 innings giving up 13 hits and 10 runs and had a 6.39 ERA. Caden Trigg, Freshman RHP, started for Vol State, his 3rd appearance and 2nd start.
Columbia State wasted little time as they went up 1-0 in the 1st inning on a walk and a double, after the first two batters were retired. Trigg allowed another batter to reach on a hit-by-pitch but pitched out of the jam. In the 2nd, Trigg pitched around a leadoff infield single, and the score remained 1-0 going to the top of the 3rd.
Trigg started the inning well, inducing a groundout and pop out from the 2nd and 3rd batters in the Chargers lineup. However, a problem finding the strike zone bit Trigg as he walked the next two batters and hit another to load the bases. Gattis Henley, Sophomore DH, then drilled his 1st homerun of the season for a grand slam, giving Columbia State a 5-0 lead. Trigg went 3 innings and gave up 3 H, 5 R, 3 W, and 2 HP.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Vol State loaded the bases themselves on Kazee, with a single by Reggie Cooper, Sophomore CF, and a couple walks, but could not plate their first run of the series, as Kazee got Kanon Lewis, Sophomore DH, to lineout to CF to end the inning. Kazee lasted 4 innings, giving up 2 H, 0 R, 5 W, and 4 K.
In the top of the 5th, the Chargers pulled away, scoring 5 more runs to take a 10-0 lead. Noah Eatman, Sophomore RHP, had relieved Trigg in the 4th inning, and retired the side in order. He did not fare as well in the 5th as Jaxson Diamond, Sophomore RF, led off the inning with a solo homerun, his 7th of the year and 2nd of the series. A hit-by-pitch and a 2-run homerun by Blake Merwin, Sophomore CF – his first of the year – gave the Chargers an 8-0 lead. Following a single and a walk, Eatman was replaced by Carter Waltz, Freshman LHP. Waltz retired the first two batters he faced, but then walked the next two and allowed an infield single before getting the 3rd out, however, not before 2 more runs scored, making the score 10-0.
Eatman finished with 1 inning of work, allowing 3 H, 5 R, a W, and a HP. Waltz, who threw to one batter in the 6th, also went 1 inning giving up a H, R, and 3 W. Trent Miller, Freshman RHP, relieved Waltz in the 6th, and gave up a single and a 2-out double before getting the last out of the inning.
In the bottom of the 6th, Vol State finally was able to score, putting 3 runs on the board on a walk, an RBI double by Lex Falsone, Freshman Catcher, a hit batter, an error, a wild pitch, and an RBI single by Lewis. However, Columbia State still had a commanding lead, 12-3, after 6 innings.
In the top of the 7th, the Chargers scored 4 more runs on only 2 hits, as they were aided by 3 walks and a hit batter. The Pioneers went down in order in the bottom of the 7th, which ended the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule. Columbia State swept the series with a 16-3 victory. Kazee was credited with the win and Caden Trigg (0-1) took the loss. Vol State fell to 9-17 overall and 1-10 in conference play.