The Walters State Senators came in to the game with one the tournaments best power bat teams. The North West Florida State Raiders came in as one of the highest scoring teams in the tournament. The Senators have two a top the homerun charts in the tournament with two each in Ramon Osuna and Ross Grosvenor. The Raiders are averaging nine runs a game, right behind Walters State with 11 runs per game.
North West Florida State outlasted Walters State by scoring their average winning 10-7. The Raiders scored in each of the first four innings, as the home team, then adding a insurance run in the eighth. Walters State scored in the first three innings matching the Raiders. However, coming up three short by only scoring two in the seventh, down 9-7 at that point. North West Florida led in offense by Mack Hathcock, 3/5 with three runs batted in and two home runs. Helping Hathcock in offense for the Raiders Onix Martinez, 1/3 with three runs batted in. Power bat Ramon Osuna and Braxton Brinkley paced the Senators offense. Osuna 1/5 two runs batted in and Brinkley 2/4 one run batted in. The Senators offense struggled in the middle part of the lineup where most of the offense’s run production comes from. The Raiders pitcher James Granat threw good stuff all game fooling the Senators hitters while runners where on base. Granat gave up 11 hits in the game to the Senators, however, their offense failed to string multiple hits together in the crucial moments.
In the 10-7 win for the Raiders moves them up against McLennan Community College, for the right to go to the national championship. The 10-7 loss for Walters State drops them down into the loser’s bracket. Walters State next plays Chattahoochee Valley Community College in an elimination game.
