DUNLAP — Backs against the wall, win or go home.
The Forrest Rockets have been in this situation before.
Last year, in the one-game Class 2A sectional against York Institute, the Rockets completed an improbable comeback, rallying from a seven-run deficit and eventually winning on a walk-off in the eighth inning to qualify for the Class 2A state tournament.
Fast forward a year and the Rockets needed every bit of the three games in the new best of three format.
Forrest fell, 3-0, to Sequatchie County in Game 1 of the series, but rebounded with two stellar, shutout pitching performances from Riley Durbin and Carter Walk to sweep the Thursday games and advance to the state tournament for the second-straight year.
Thursday was nothing short of remarkable for Durbin and Walk.
In Game 2 of the series, Durbin got the nod and pitched a complete game shutout, giving up just one hit, while striking out seven.
The Rockets gave Durbin plenty of offense to support him, beginning with a two-run cushion in the bottom of the first inning.
Durbin helped his own cause when he ground into a fielder’s choice, but scored Preston Gentry from third.
Ryan Meglis drove in a second run of the inning on a round ball single to left.
Preston Gentry added a third Rocket run in the bottom of the fourth when he scored on a passed ball and then a fourth Forrest run scored on a RBI single off Gentry’s bat.
Leading 4-0 and participating as the home team in Game 2, Durbin toed the rubber for the seventh inning and recorded a perfect, 1-2-3 inning, highlighted by two strikeouts to end the game.

Sequatchie Co. 000 000 0 — 0 1 2
Forrest 200 101 x — 4 10 0

Forrest: Preston Gentry 3-for-4, Kason Fuller 2-for-3, Carter Walk 2-for-3, Luke Allen 1-for-3, Ryan Meglis 2-for-3.
WP: Durbin
LP: Cribbs

FORREST 2, SEQUATCHIE CO. 0
It wouldn’t be Forrest Rocket baseball without quality pitching and Carter Walk had no interest in letting Riley Durbin get all the spotlight for his one-hit shutout in the Class 2A state sectional—so he threw a shutout of his own to advance the Rockets back to the state tournament.
Like Durbin in Game 2, Walk toed the rubber for the Rockets in a win-or-go-home Game 3 and delivered the Rockets’ second shutout victory of the night in a 2-0 victory.
Walk went the distance for the Rockets and gave up five hits, but preserved the shutout without issuing a single walk.
He also struck out five batters.
All the scoring came in the top of the third inning and when Tyler Baxter led off frame with a walk, Preston Gentry stepped to the plate and drove in the game’s first run on a double to center field.
Walk helped his own cause later in the inning with a line drive single to right, scoring Gentry.
Those two runs were the only offense generated in the Game 3 of the sectional series.
For now, the Rockets sit idle through the remainder of the weekend and wait for the tournament draw before beginning in the Class 2A state tournament on Tuesday.

Forrest 002 000 0 — 2 8 0
Sequatchie Co. 000 000 0 — 0 4 1

Forrest: Tyler Baxter 1-for-3, Preston Gentry 2-for-2, Kason Fuller 3-for-4, Carter Walk 1-for-4, Ryan Meglis 1-for-3.
WP: Walk
LP: Natale