"Pioneer Baseball Early Season Review"

By: Timothy M. Reece, Broadcaster, VolState Sports Network

Game 1 – Saturday, 2/3/2024      Vincennes 7 - Vol State 2

            On Opening Day for both teams, Vincennes University (1-0) defeated Volunteer State (0-1) 7-2.  This was the third meeting between the two teams since 2022 with Vincennes winning 4-1 in the 1^st matchup and Vol State getting a 16-3 victory in 2023.

            Vol State began the scoring in the bottom of the 1^st with two unearned runs on two walks, a hit batter, and an infield error.  The Pioneers would hold that lead through four innings as Starting Pitcher, Caleb Pica, Sophomore LHP, Nashville, TN, who committed to Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN in the fall, did not allow a hit or a run in 4 innings, while walking one, and finishing with 4 K's.

In the top of the 5^th, the Trailblazers scored three runs on three hits to take the lead, 3-2.  The big blow was a three-run homerun delivered by pinch hitter Dylan Ecken off relief pitcher Parker White (0-1), Sophomore LHP, Knoxville, TN, who took the loss.  White was named 2^nd Team All TCCAA Region 7 Conference Starting Pitcher in May 2023.

Vincennes added three more runs in the top of the 7^th to take a 6-2 lead. Ecken's double drove in two more runs.  He finished 3-3 with a HR, a double, scored 2 runs and drove in 5.  The third run (unearned) of the inning, off the third pitcher of the game, Noah Eatman, Sophomore RHP, Parrish, FL, scored because of a throwing error.

The final run for Vincennes was scored in the top of the 8^th off Noah Ward, Sophomore RHP, Knoxville, TN.  Two walks, a sacrifice bunt, and an infield single by Bryton Griffy plated the final tally for the Trailblazers.

Caiden Johnson, red-shirt Sophomore LHP, Huntsville, AL, pitched a scoreless 9^th for the Pioneers.  The only hit for Vol State came off the bat of Walker Strange; a line-drive to centerfield in the 5^th inning.  Vol State stranded 9 runners for the game.

            The winning pitcher for Vincennes was Logan Medsker (1-0) who came on in relief in the second inning for starter Josh McCormick.  Medsker threw 2.1 shutout innings, giving up 0 hits, walking 3, and striking out 6.

Game 2 – Friday, 2/9/2024      Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) 9 - Vol State 3 (5)

            In the opening game of the season for SWIC, in what was supposed to be a 4 game, 3-day series, the Blue Storm (1-0) defeated Volunteer State 9-3 in a rain-shortened, 5 inning contest.  The deficit could have been larger as SWIC scored 7 runs in the top of the 6^th.  However, the precipitation that had started earlier in the game, began to affect the playing surface and the tarp was rolled onto the field as the game headed to the bottom of the 6th.  After a conference between both head coaches and the umpires, the decision was made to end the game.  Therefore, by rule, the official game reverted to the end of the last full inning, which was the 5th.

            Caleb Pica (0-1), LHP, Nashville, TN, took the loss in his 2^nd start of the year for Vol State.  This outing did not go as well as the Blue Storm took the lead in the top of the 1^st after a walk and two Pioneer errors.  Pica walked two in the inning, but his first of 5 K's for the game ended the inning while only giving up an unearned run.

            Vol State countered with two runs in the bottom of the 2^nd inning when Reggie Cooper, CF, Smyrna, TN, Sophomore transfer from Cleveland State, launched his 1^st homerun of the season, a 2-run shot to left-centerfield.  Drew Webster, Sophomore LF, Nashville, TN, singled and scored ahead of Cooper to give the Pioneers a short-lived 2-1 lead.

            SWIC scored 3 runs (all earned) in the 3^rd and 5 runs (1 earned) in the 5^th to take a 9-2 lead.  An RBI triple by Brendan Brock and a 2-run homerun by Preston Wright plated three in the 3^rd.  Noah Eatman, Sophomore RHP, Parrish, FL, who committed to play next year for Keiser University in West Palm Beach, FL, came on in relief for Pica in the 4^th inning.  Eatman allowed an RBI double to Griffin Brown and a Grand Slam to Zach Zychowski after a couple walks and an infield error that would have ended the inning.  Eatman worked 1.2 innings, and gave up 4 hits, 5 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, and struck out 2.

Vol State scored their final run in the bottom of the 5^th to complete the scoring.  A one-out groundout by Drew Plummer, red-shirt Freshman 2B, Spring Hill, TN, scored Lex Falsone, Catcher, Smyrna, TN, from third base after Falsone collected his first collegiate hit, a lead-off double to the warning track in leftfield.

The Pioneers collected 4 hits in the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season.  The Blue Storm Starting Pitcher, Gavan Wernsing (1-0), earned the win going 4 innings, and giving up 3 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, a hit batter, and finished with 4 K's.

Game 3 – Sunday, 2/11/2024      Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) 7 - Vol State 1

            The Pioneers (0-3) lost their 3^rd straight game of the year, and 2^nd in a row to Southwestern Illinois College (2-0) in the last game of what was originally scheduled to be a 4-game series.  A doubleheader scheduled on Saturday was washed out because of rain.

Parker White (0-2). LHP, Knoxville, TN, got his first start of the season and immediately ran into trouble in the 1^st.  The Blue Storm scored 4 runs, sending 7 batters to the plate.  A walk, a single, 2 doubles (including one off the bat of Jovan Gill that drove in 2 runs), and a 2-run homerun by Emmanuel Scott, gave SWIC a 4-0 lead before Vol State came to the plate.  White allowed only one more hit, and no more runs in his final 3 innings of work.  He finished with 4 innings pitched, 5 hits, 4 runs (all earned), a walk and 2 K's and suffered his 2^nd loss of the season.

Noah Ward, Sophomore RHP, Knoxville, TN, came on in relief for the Pioneers in the 5^th inning and gave up 4 straight hits, including a lead-off double to Zach Zychowski.  Singles by Preston Wright and Griffin Brown drove in one run each and a sacrifice fly by Gill drove in the last run for SWIC.  Gill finished with 3 RBI's while also pitching a scoreless 7^th inning in relief. 

Brett Dowling, Sophomore RHP, Mt. Juliet, TN, pitched 3 innings of one hit, shutout baseball.  Trent Miller, Freshman RHP, Greenbrier, TN, made his collegiate debut, tossing 1 inning, and did not allow a hit or a run, while walking 2 and striking out 2.

Vol State collected 5 hits in the game, including 2 singles in the 9^th, one each by Connor Paul, Freshman 1B, Brentwood, TN, and Reed Muschinsky, red-shirt Freshman OF, Bradenton, FL, which was each of their first collegiate hits.  Paul scored the only run of the game for Vol State on a ground out RBI by Drew Webster, Sophomore OF, Nashville, TN.  Stephen Bell, OF, Brentwood, TN, Sophomore transfer from Alderson Broaddus University, was 2-2 with a double and a walk.

Game 4 – Friday, 2/16/2024      Jackson College (MI) 8 - Vol State 4

Jackson College Jets came to Gallatin, TN for the 3^rd straight year to take on Volunteer State, having never beaten the Pioneers, going 0-6 in 2022 and 2023.  Game one of the DH saw Jackson College claim an 8-4 come-from-behind victory, scoring 6 runs in the 6^th inning of the 7- inning contest.

Vol State (0-4) got the scoring started first with an unearned run in the 1^st inning.  Logan Molnar, SS, Sophomore, Thompson Station, TN, lead off with a single up the middle.  He then stole 2B and moved to 3B on the Catcher's errant throw into CF.  Drew Plummer, red-shirt Freshman 2B, Spring Hill, TN, drove in Molnar with a Sacrifice Fly.

The Jets (1-1) scored the tying run in the 4^th inning off Starting Pitcher Caleb Pica, Sophomore LHP, Nashville, TN, who had scattered 2 hits, 3 walks, and a hit batter through 3 scoreless innings.  Hayden Lowe picked up a one out single and Jamil Ramsey drove Lowe home with a 2 out double to tie the game 1-1.

Vol State quickly retook the lead 3-1 in the bottom of the 4^th, when Lex Falsone, Freshman Catcher, Smyrna, TN, smacked his 1^st homerun of his collegiate career, a 2-run shot to leftfield, chasing Starting Pitcher Ethan Ianni.  Reggie Cooper, Sophomore, also of Smyrna and a former teammate of Falsone at Stewarts Creek High School, walked and scored ahead of Falsone's Long Ball.  The Pioneers threatened further in the inning against Relief Pitcher Colin Presnar with a single by Plummer and a walk to Stephen Bell, Sophomore OF, Brentwood, TN, however, could not push across any additional runs in the inning.

Jackson College broke the game open in the 6^th inning with 6 runs on 4 hits, aided by 3 walks by Pioneer pitchers.  The Jets touched up Brett Dowling, Sophomore RHP, Mt. Juliet, TN, for 2 hits, 2 walks, and 4 runs, and Noah Eatman, Sophomore RHP, Parrish, FL, for 2 walks, 2 hits, and 2 runs.  The big blow of the inning was a bases loaded triple by Jared Kramp.  Kramp finished the game 2-4, a run scored, and 3 RBI's.  Jackson College, at that time, led 7-3.

Vol State was able to score an unearned run in the bottom of the 6^th, aided be 2 walks and an error.  Bell drove in Falsone with a fielder's choice ground ball to cut the lead to 3, 7-4.  Falsone finished 2-2 with a homerun, walk, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI's.

The visitors scored an unearned run in the top of the 7^th to complete the scoring and provided the final tally of 8-4.  A single by Hayden Lowe, a fielder's choice and stolen base by Logan Christophel, set the stage for Christophel to score on a Pioneer error with 2 outs.

Colin Presnar (1-0) earned his 1^st win of the year.  Brett Dowling (0-1) took the loss for Vol State, and left the Pioneers winless to start the season.

Game 5 – Friday, 2/16/2024      Volunteer State 6 - Jackson College (MI) 4

Volunteer State won its first game of the year, 6-4 over the Jackson College Jets. Parker White (1-2), Sophomore LHP, Knoxville, TN, earned his 1^st victory in his 3^rd appearance and 2^nd start of the young season.  White finished with 4 innings pitched, 4 hits, 4 runs (all earned), a walk, a hit batter, and 3 K's.

Sammy Bronkema (0-1), of the Jackson College Jets (1-2), took the loss, coming on in relief of starter Caleb Niese.  Bronkema came in the game with no outs and bases loaded in the 2^nd inning.  He finished with 3 innings pitched, giving up 5 hits, 2 runs (both earned), a walk, a hit batter, and striking out 2.

Each team scored in their half of the 1^st inning. A leadoff triple by Max Bowers and an RBI groundout by Jared Kramp gave the Jets a 1-0 lead.  With 2 outs in the bottom of the 1^st, Drew Webster, Sophomore OF, Nashville, TN, reached on an infield single.  An error and 2 walks allowed Webster to score and tie the game at 1-1.

In the Pioneers half of the 2^nd inning, Niese walked the first 2 batters of the inning, and then hit the next two, increasing the Vol State (1-4) lead to 2-1.  Bronkema replaced Niese and gave up a sacrifice fly to Webster, an infield single to Walker Strange, red-shirt Freshman 3B, Knoxville, TN, and an RBI groundout to Brody Melton, Sophomore 1B, Tullahoma.  After 2 innings, the Pioneers led 4-1.

Jackson College tied the game with 3 runs in the 4^th.  Kramp reached on an infield single and Marcus Patton walked.  Grant Teschendorf doubled in 2 runs and was later knocked in by Nolan Distelrath's single into leftfield.  White struck out the last batter he faced to finish the 4^th.

Vol State took the lead for good in their half of the 4^th inning, scoring 2 runs on 3 hits and a hit batter.  Logan Molnar, Sophomore SS, Thompson Station, TN, led off the inning with a double to centerfield.  Corbin Overbay, Sophomore 2B, Sevierville, TN, was hit by a pitch putting runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  After a sacrifice bunt and a walk, the bases were loaded.  Molnar and Overbay scored on back-to-back RBI hits by Melton and Christian Dunn, Sophomore Catcher, Collierville, TN.

Neither team threatened to score again in the next 2 ½ innings as relief pitchers Logan Hunt for the Jets and Noah Ward, Sophomore RHP, Knoxville, TN, for the Pioneers shut down opposing batters.  Ward recorded his 1^st save of the year going 3 innings giving up only one hit and striking out 2 batters.

Game 6 – Saturday, 2/17/2024      Volunteer State 2 - Jackson College (MI) 1

In the 3^rd and final game of the 3-game series between Volunteer State and Jackson College, the Pitchers ruled.  Four Pitchers (2 for each club) combined to throw 13 innings, only allowing 3 runs (1 earned), 3 hits, 9 walks, 1 hit batter, and 15 K's.  Vol State (2-4) won their 2^nd in a row, taking the series two games to one over Jackson College (1-3).

Caiden Johnson (1-0), red-shirt Sophomore LHP, Huntsville, AL, started for the Pioneers and delivered 4 innings without giving up a hit or a run, walking 5 and finishing with 5 K's to get the win.  Johnson's teammates scored 2 unearned runs in the 1^st inning and he and Relief Pitcher Trent Miller, Freshman RHP, Greenbrier, TN, made them stand up.

Logan Molnar, Sophomore SS, Thompson Station, TN, walked to lead off the bottom of the 1^st.  After a flyout, Drew Webster, Sophomore OF, Nashville, TN, hit a ground ball to the SS who attempted to throw to 2B to get the force out of Molnar.  The throw was wide of the bag and went all the way to the wall down the 1B line.  Webster ended up at 2B and Molnar, who had rounded 3B, saw the throw from the first baseman go in the direction of pitcher's mound, so he took off for home on a heads up baserunning move, and scored.  Brody Melton, Sophomore 1B, Tullahoma, TN, singled to leftfield (the only hit of the day for the Pioneers), driving in Webster, with what proved to be the game winning run.

Johnson and Miller pitched 6 hitless, shutout innings as Vol State led 2-0 going into the top of the 7^th and final inning.  Hayden Lowe doubled down the leftfield line to lead off the 7^th for the Jets and break up the no-hitter.  Brady Schrems then broke up the shutout with an RBI double to rightfield.  Miller then struck out the next batter but hit lead off batter Jamil Ramsey, putting the tying run on 1B.  Miller then induced Harry Major to hit a ground ball to Molnar at SS who stepped on 2B and threw to Melton at 1B for a game ending double play.

Miller earned his 1^st collegiate save going 3 innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 run (earned), walked and hit a batter, and struck out 5 Jets batters.