Host Chargers drop tourney opener
By MAURICE PATTON mpatton@c-dh.net
May 6, 2019 at 3:34 PM May 6, 2019 at 9:57 PM
Riding a six-game winning streak into this week's TCCAA/Region VII baseball tournament, host Columbia State played well enough defensively Monday to extend its successful run.
Despite turning four double plays, though, the Chargers couldn't rally from an early hole and fell 8-5 to fourth-seeded Chattanooga State.
The loss sends Columbia State (21-26) into a 10 a.m. elimination game Tuesday at Dave Hall Field against the loser of Monday's matchup between top-seeded Walters State and No. 8 seed Volunteer State — a 9-5 winner over Southwest Tennessee in Sunday's play-in game.
"I thought the kids really battled hard," veteran Chargers coach Mike Corn said of his fifth-seeded squad, which gave up a pair of runs in the second and third innings but continued to give itself chances even as it managed just six hits against three Chattanooga State pitchers.
"We don't walk off with our heads down. We're not playing bad baseball. It just wasn't good enough (Monday)."
The Tigers, featuring the conference's top offense, led off the second inning with back-to-back doubles against C-State starter Luis Rodriguez and went on to load the bases. Following a sacrifice fly for a second run, though, the Chargers cut the rally short as first baseman Daniel Freeman started an inning-ending a double play.
With Columbia State trailing 4-0 in the fourth, Freeman fielded another one-out ground ball to start a twinkilling with reliever Spencer Keylon covering for the final out.
"I think our defense was better than it has been all year," said Freeman, a Middle Tennessee State signee. " We got punched in the mouth at the beginning of the game, and it took us till the sixth to rally back. But I like to see that. We didn't give up. I think that'll be good for us for the rest of the tournament."
The Chargers cut the deficit in half in the sixth on a Freeman one-out single and a David Wilson two-out RBI base hit, followed by a bit of chicanery. Zach Sharber, who reached on a walk ahead of Wilson's single, scored from third base when Wilson wandered off first — drawing the attention of Tigers left-hander Garrett Hartley and distracting him just long enough for Sharber to sprint home.
Columbia State, playing as the visitors by virtue of their seeding, choked off another rally in the bottom of the inning with an around-the-horn double play, then limited the damage as Chattanooga State put five straight hitters on base to open the seventh when Langdon Gordon fielded a bases-loaded groundball at third, stepped on the bag and threw home before Raleigh Odle got out of the inning with a comebacker.
Down 6-2, C-State loaded the bases in the eighth. Christian Nave's infield grounder scored Cody Hutcherson, with A'Darius Pugh's sacrifice fly plating Sharber and Dorian Berry tripling into the left-field corner to chase Nave home. Representing the tying run, though, Berry was stranded as Gordon grounded out.
"I thought we had an opportunity with Dorian's triple," Freeman said. "But it didn't pan out. They definitely made some plays. We had opportunities, but we couldn't pull through."
Columbia State stranded 10 baserunners, a fact not lost on Corn.
"We're a 'paper-cut' offense," he said. "We don't score a bunch at one time. But we kept the pressure on. We left runners in scoring position in five straight innings, and it came back to bite us at the end. Double plays got us out of some jams, but we couldn't make the pitch, make the play in a couple of situations.
"They're the leading offense in the league. They're going to score some runs if you give them the free bag."
Chattanooga State (32-13), which will play the Walters State/Volunteer State winner at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, took advantage of a leadoff walk and a hit batter to score two more runs in the eighth, and the Chargers were unable to convert a two-out Cody Hutcherson single in the ninth.
"The guys worked hard," Freeman said. "We'll come back and see if we can win two (Tuesday)."
In Monday's late games, Cleveland State and Dyersburg State squared off, followed by Jackson State — a 7-0 play-in winner Sunday over Roane State — and Motlow State in the nightcap.
Lady Chargers face elimination: Following a 9-6 loss to Volunteer State in Sunday's softball tournament opener, Columbia State was set to play an elimination game Monday against the earlier loser of Walters State and Cleveland State. A win would advance the sixth-seeded Lady Chargers into Tuesday's 3 p.m. elimination contest.
Chattanooga State 8, Columbia State 5
Col 000 002 030 — 5 6 2
Cha 022 000 22x — 8 9 2
Luis Rodriguez, Spencer Keylon (4), Raleigh Odle (7) and Alex Carignan. Kyle Nunn, Garrett Hartley (6), Noah Fitzgerald (9) and Chris Tyler. W: Nunn. L: Rodriguez. S: Fitzgerald.
Submit as story
The Daily Herald ~ 1115 S. Main Street, Columbia, TN 38401 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service
Mule Day
Best of Maury
Make The Grade
Herald of Yesteryear
AdvertiserNews
Ad Mall