Baseball Falls in Opening Series to Chattanooga State

January 26, 2025

Game Recap: Baseball
1/26/2025 | Shaun Schetka

Cedar Bluff, Va—The Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) Baseball team kicked off their 2025 season on the road with a four-game series against Chattanooga State CC. Unfortunately, the Flying Eagles returned home empty-handed, dropping all four games. A mix of offensive struggles and defensive miscues made it a tough start for Coach McMillian’s squad.

Game 1: Loss (19-0, Final – 5 Innings)

Sophomore Brayden Dilday took the mound as the Opening Day starter, but things didn’t go as planned. After an early error and a single, Chattanooga State’s Devyn McEachron launched a three-run homer to put SWCC in an early hole. By the end of the second inning, a 10-run outburst from Chattanooga effectively sealed the game.

Freshman Ayden Muliken came in to relieve Dilday but couldn’t catch a break either. Defensive errors and passed balls made it an uphill battle, and the Flying Eagles couldn’t recover.

The offense struggled as well, with freshman Kensley Joachim picking up the team’s only hit.

Game 2: Loss (10-0, Final – 5 Innings)

Freshman Dagan Barton gave the Flying Eagles a solid start in Game 2, pitching two innings of two-hit ball and striking out five in his collegiate debut. Sophomore Colten Tate followed Barton with a strong third inning but ran into trouble in the fourth.

After a single, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt, Tate handed the ball to Logan Williams, who worked to minimize the damage. But errors and free passes opened the floodgates for Chattanooga State, and by the time SWCC got the third out, the score had ballooned to 8-0.

Freshmen Graham Irvin and Damien Boyd were bright spots for SWCC, each collecting a hit.

Game 3: Loss (8-0, Final – 7 Innings)

Looking to turn things around in Game 3, SWCC again leaned on a freshman pitcher. This time, it was Harrison Felger who delivered a strong outing. The Acworth, GA native pitched three solid innings, giving up just one run on a solo homer while striking out three.

But the offense couldn’t get going, and Chattanooga State broke it open with a five-run sixth inning. Tyler Jones led the way for Chattanooga with four RBIs, and SWCC’s only hit came off the bat of freshman Graham Irvin.

Game 4: Loss (18-3, Final – 5 Innings)

The Flying Eagles showed some fight in the final game, putting together their best offensive effort of the series. Sophomore Ethan Roberts had a standout game, collecting two hits and driving in two runs.

Unfortunately, Chattanooga State’s bats stayed hot, jumping out to a 9-0 lead in the first inning. Freshman Kian Manske, making his first start, lasted just two-thirds of an inning after allowing eight runs (only two earned) as defensive errors continued to hurt the Flying Eagles.

What’s Next?

The Flying Eagles will look to regroup when they hit the road again on Friday for a four-game series against USC Union. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM, with Saturday’s games starting at the same time.