The Motlow Bucks closed out the 2023 baseball regular season with a 6-4 win over Volunteer State Sunday in Gallatin. Motlow won the three-game series over the Pioneers, taking game one 4-3 before dropping game two 8-3.
The Bucks (25-20, 13-13) are the No. 7 seed for next week's TCCAA/Region VII Tournament in Gallatin, May 7-12. Motlow will play No. 10 seed Jackson State in a play-in game on Sunday, May 7, at 3 p.m. The winner will advance to play No. 2 seed Chattanooga State on Monday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m.
The series at Volunteer State was moved from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday due to inclement weather. Saturday's opener saw the Bucks score two runs in the third and fourth innings, providing all the offense Motlow's pitchers would need.
The Bucks loaded the bases in the third, and Tate Vanhooser scored from third when Kaleb Valdez reached first on a catcher's interference call. Julius Scearce reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Irvin Hernandez to give Motlow a 2-0 lead.
Vanhooser singled home Jackson Cauthron and Gabe Sibert in the fourth to increase the Motlow lead to 4-0. The Pioneers scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.
Jake Gulley started on the mound for Motlow, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing just three hits on two earned runs with four strikeouts. Griffin Meeker relived Gulley in the fifth and got the win, giving up just two hits in his 2.1 innings.
Saturday's second game, an 8-3 win for the Pioneers, saw Motlow slam two home runs in the fifth inning. Vanhooser hit a two-run shot, driving in Sibert, who had doubled, and Tucker Allen hit a solo home run. The Bucks led briefly 3-2, but Volunteer State scored six in the bottom of the inning.
Nicholas Holbrook started for Motlow, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing all eight runs with five strikeouts. Carson Cheek gave up just one hit in 1.1 innings pitched.
Sunday's nine-inning series finale was tied 4-4 after seven innings before Motlow scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to seal the victory, and the series win.
Trailing 2-0 after three innings, Allen's single drove home Cauthron and Kaleb Gupton to tie the score 2-2. Valdez doubled home John Hale in the fifth to give Motlow a 3-2 lead. Irvin Hernandez tripled and scored on a passed ball to increase Motlow's lead to 4-2 in the seventh inning.
After the Pioneers scored two in the seventh, Allen doubled home Cauthron in the eighth, and Cauthron doubled home Scearce in the ninth to seal the 6-4 win. Valdez, Hernandez, and Allen each had three hits, and Allen drove in three runs.
Ryder Morey had a strong outing on the mound, pitching six innings and allowing two runs with five strikeouts. Evan Rom relieved Morey in the seventh and got the win, despite allowing two runs. Meeker pitched a perfect final two innings to earn his fourth save of the season.
Follow the Bucks at MotlowSports.com and @motlowsports.
Motlow State Community College competes on the Division I level in baseball, softball, women's soccer, men's basketball, and women's basketball. The Bucks are a member of the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) and compete in Region 7 of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
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Motlow State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age status as a protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Barbara Scales bscales@mscc.edu, 5002 Motlow College Blvd. Smyrna, TN 37167, 615-220-7976.
Sports Information
C. Scott Shasteen
931-247-5566
sshasteen@mscc.edu