The Volunteer State Community College baseball team won last weekend’s conference series at Southwest Tennessee with an 8-6 win in Sunday afternoon’s series finale.
The Pioneers scored multiple runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to build a five-run lead.
The Saluqis scored single runs in the first and second frames for an early 2-0 lead.
VSCC surged in front for good with a three-run third.
Ahmir Watkins’ two-out single drove in Chris Heflin with the Pioneers’ first run.
Garrett Harp doubled in Watkins and scored the go-ahead run when Joel Lynch singled.
Blake Bratcher doubled in Heflin and Craig Thompson in the fourth.
Harp and Lynch scored in the fifth, when Michael Richardson reached on an error.
Southwest Tennessee responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but that’s as close as the host squad was able to get.
Each squad scored a run in the ninth, with Harp crossing the plate thanks to a wild pitch in the top of the frame.
Harp scored three times on the day. He and Bratcher were the only Pioneers to finish with multiple hits.
Vol State starting pitcher Dane Archer pitched into the sixth before allowing back-to-back doubles, which brought David Strothman on in relief.
Archer scattered seven hits over his five innings of work. He allowed just one earned run, struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Matt Smith pitched three and one-third innings in relief, earning his third save. He allowed just one hit and an unearned run in the ninth. Smith walked one and struck out two.
The Pioneers fell in Saturday’s doubleheader opener, 4-1.
Vol State starting pitcher Scotty Rogowski (3-5) allowed just four hits and one earned run. He walked two and struck out three in his six innings of work.
However, a sixth-inning run was all the Pioneer offense was able to produce.
Lynch singled and scored on Richardson’s triple in the sixth.
Lynch had two of Volunteer State’s six hits in the game.
The Pioneers turned the tables on the Saluqis in game two, winning 4-1.
Chris Beatty (4-1) started on the mound, going six innings to pick up the win. Beatty scatted seven hits, walked three and struck out one.
Archer came on in relief of Beatty after the VSCC starter walked the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh.
Archer retired all three of the batters he faced, fanning two. He picked up his first save of the season.
Vol State produced two runs in the top of the first, proving to be enough.
Watkins led off the game with a single, and one out later, Lynch reached on an error. Richardson drove in Watkins with a single, and Lynch crossed the plate when Danny Pulley reached on an error.
After Southwest Tennessee responded with a run in the bottom of the first, Lynch singled and scored on Pulley’s third-inning single.
Harp singled in Heflin with the game’s final run in the fourth.
Watkins had two of the Pioneers’ seven hits.
VSCC improved to 11-10 in the Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association by winning last weekend’s series.
• The Volunteer State bats exploded for 19 hits in Monday’s 21-6 romp over Motlow State.
The Pioneers scored four runs in the first and third innings before erupting for 11 in the fifth.
Pulley’s three-run home run highlighted the four-run first.
Heath Puryear doubled in Pulley and Thompson in the four-run third.
Bucks’ standout Bobby Bratton hit his third home run of the game in the top of the fourth, pulling Motlow State within two (8-6). He also homered in the first and third frames.
Harp doubled and scored in the bottom of the fourth.
Harp was 4-for-5 at the plate on Monday, scored three times and drove in a run.
Puryear drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, and former Gallatin High standout Matt Robison followed with a two-run home run, his first collegiate round-tripper.
The next batter, James McDonald, made it back-to-back blasts with his second home run of the season.
Thompson belted a two-run home run later in the fifth as well.
McDonald, Puryear and Watkins all scored twice in the inning.
McDonald singled in Pulley with the game’s final run in the sixth.
Pulley crossed the plate four times in the contest and drove in three runs, as did Richardson and Thompson.
Lynch and Thompson both had three hits in the game. Six different Vol State players had multiple hits on Monday.
Wesley Nolen started on the mound and picked up the win, pitching into the fourth. Nolen improved to 4-0.
Strothman pitched the final three and one-third innings, earning his first save of the season. Strothman allowed just one hit, walked two and struck out six.
The Pioneers improved to 23-12 with the win.
Volunteer State hosts the Cumberland University junior varsity squad this afternoon at 4.
The Pioneers will also be at home on Saturday, facing visiting St. Catharine (Ky.). That doubleheader is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
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