Pioneer baseball:
The winning beat continues to roll for the Volunteer State Community College baseball team.
After winning seven straight games at home last weekend, the Pioneers kept the streak alive with a three-game sweep at Hiwassee this past weekend.
Vol State improved to 6-3 in conference play by taking three wins (8-1, 2-1, 6-5) over the hosts. The victories improve the Pioneers to 12-5 overall. They have won 10 in a row after beginning the season 2-5.
In Friday’s first game of a doubleheader Vol State received good pitching and loads of hitting in an 8-2 win over the hosts.
Scotty Rogowski (3-1) earned the complete-game win, firing a five-hitter, allowing two earned runs, just one walk and striking out seven.
Three-run outbursts in the fourth and fifth provided him with all the offense he would need to earn the win.
Ahmir Watkins led a 15-hit attack with three safeties, while Justin Humphrey and Chris Brown provided the punch with homers.
Brown, Humphrey, Blake Bratcher and Joel Lynch all had two hits for VSCC.
Tied at 2, Volunteer State took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning.
With one out, Brown started the damage with a solo homer. Watkins singled and moved up on a Garrett Harp single. He went to third on a fielding error.
A groundout by Lynch put runners at second and third, while a walk by Cory Cooper loaded the bases.
Danny Pulley then gave the Pioneers a three-run lead with a two-run single.
Leading 5-2, VSCC put things out of reach with another three-run outburst in the fifth.
Bratcher led things off with a single and moved to second on a Humphrey single. After a fielder’s choice Watkins came through with an RBI single. A fielding error brought home Humphrey with the second run of the inning.
Lynch put the Pioneers ahead 8-2 with an RBI single later in the inning.
Friday’s second game turned into an extra-inning pitchers’ duel.
Vol State’s Dustin Johnson and Hiwassee’s Josh Sing battled for most of the way, but the visitors scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth to capture a 2-1 win.
Harp led off the eighth by being hit by a pitch. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a Lynch single.
Cooper then grounded into a double play, but it was good enough to bring home Harp with the eventual game-winner.
Johnson pitched 7.1 innings, allowing just five hits, no earned runs and one walk. He struck out five.
Dustin Crabtree relieved him with one out in the bottom of the eighth and retired the final two batters for his first save.
Chris Brown, who drove home the Pioneers’ first run in the top of the fifth, had two hits to lead a seven-hit VSCC attack.
The teams again went into extra innings on Saturday, this time needing 11 innings to settle the score (6-5).
Vol State scored a run in the top of the 11th to complete the sweep and hand Crabtree his second win of the season.
Designated hitter Michael Richardson doubled down the left field line to begin the 11th for VSCC. After a strikeout and groundout (which moved Richardson to third), Harp came through with the clutch hit, singling to center to score Richardson with the go-ahead run.
Crabtree (2-0) then shut the door 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 11th, striking out two of the three batters. He hurled 2.1 innings of perfect baseball, striking out four along the way.
Starter Chris Beatty pitched five innings, allowing four hits and four runs (two earned), walking none and striking out two.
Dane Archer came in and hurled 3.2 innings of three-hit relief, allowing one run and striking out five.
Vol State pounded out 14 hits, including three by Richardson. Brown, Harp, Cooper, Bratcher and Humphrey all collected two hits. Harp drove home two runs, while Brown scored twice.
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