Contact: Dan McShea
Head Baseball Coach
(931) 393-1615
dmcshea@mscc.edu
May 10, 2012
The Motlow Bucks made a spirited run in the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament this week in Chattanooga, winning a pair of games and losing a heartbreaker, before injuries and the Walters State Senators ended Motlow's season with a 34-26 record.
The Bucks opened the tournament beating Cleveland State 7-6 in a 'play-in' game on Sunday and led Walters State 5-3 heading to the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday before the Senators scored three runs and won 6-5.
Motlow then bounced back to beat Chattanooga State 8-5 on Tuesday before dropping the season finale on Wednesday 11-0 to Walters State. Walters State will play Columbia State for the conference championship on Thursday with a second game Friday if necessary.
Injuries affect Bucks lineup
Bucks head coach Dan McShea was disappointed with the final loss, but proud of his team's effort during the week in Chattanooga.
"We just couldn't seem to get anything going today (Wednesday)," said McShea. "Give Walters State a lot of credit though because they came out and executed very well. There's a reason why they've won almost 50 games and have been ranked in the top ten all season.
"When you're missing one of the top players in the state in the middle of the lineup it is tough to overcome against such a good team," continued McShea. "We left too many runners on base throughout the tournament and that cost us."
The missing player was sophomore Tyler Murphy, who sustained a broken finger on Tuesday when he was hit by a Chattanooga State pitch. Murphy led the TCCAA conference in both home runs and batting average during the regular season.
The Bucks also lost Hayden Pewitt to an injury on Wednesday when he was struck in the face by a pitch in the top of the fourth inning. The game was delayed for 15 minutes while medical personnel tended to Pewitt, who suffered injuries to his mouth and face.
"Hayden got hit in the jaw by the pitch and it knocked a tooth out," added the coach. "He had a pretty good cut on his cheek but it didn't appear that anything was broken. Further tests showed no concussion and no breaks. An inch or two either way could have been very serious, so we are thankful that Hayden is going to be okay."
Walters State 11 Motlow 0
Without both sluggers the Bucks were no match for the Senators, who slammed three home runs in the game. Walters State led 3-0 after two innings, 5-0 after three, 7-0 after five, and 11-0 after six. The game ended after the Bucks batted in the top of the seventh inning due to the 10-run rule.
Brett Guzay had two of the Bucks hits, with Brandon Johnston and Thomas Lundborg also adding base hits. Shaw Dickerson started the game on the mound for the Bucks and took the loss, getting relief help from Tanner Moulder and Logan Dietz.
Motlow 8 Chattanooga State 5
Tuesday against Chattanooga State the Bucks fell behind early, battled back to take the lead, fell behind again, and then scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the lead for good.
Josh Dotson got the win for Motlow after relieving starter Brandon Reynolds in the second inning. Dotson pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing only six hits and one earned run. Tanner Moulder got the final two outs to pick up the save.
The Bucks could only manage a Murphy single in the first two innings before scoring a run in the bottom of the third to cut the Chattanooga lead to 3-1. Brett Mansfield and Guzay both singled and advanced a base on a wild pitch. Guzay scored on a ground ball but Mansfield was thrown out at the plate.
Motlow gained its first lead of the game with three runs in the fourth inning. Kilgore Gailmard opened the inning with a single, followed by walks to both Pewitt and Thomas Lundborg. Gailmard scored on a wild pitch with both Pewitt and Lundborg advancing a base. Mansfield singled with two outs to drive in Pewitt, and Guzay followed with a single to drive home Lundborg with the final run of the inning, giving Motlow a 4-3 lead after four innings.
The Tigers tied the score with a run in the top of the seventh inning before the Bucks rallied for four in the bottom half of the seventh. Andre' Solomon singled with one out and stole second, then scored the first run of the inning on a Brandon Johnston single.
Johnston advanced to second on another wild pitch, and then scored on a Gailmard single to increase the Motlow lead to 6-3. Pewitt then singled to drive in Gailmard, and Lundborg followed with a double to move Pewitt to third. Pewitt then closed the scoring for Motlow by racing home on a passed ball.
The Tigers got two runners on in the ninth before Moulder came on to end the threat and give the Bucks the win, extending their stay in Chattanooga another day.
Walters State 6 Motlow 5
Monday's 6-5 loss to the Senators was difficult to accept as the Bucks outplayed Walters State the entire contest. Motlow led 2-0, only to see the Senators come back and grab a 3-2 lead. The Bucks fought their way back to a 5-3 lead but couldn't hold it as Walters State rallied for three runs in the ninth to steal the win and advance in the loser's bracket.
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