5/3/19
(KINGSPORT, Tenn.) – Freshman John Michael McRae’s grand slam in the top of the first inning sparked the No. 3-seeded Truett McConnell University baseball team’s dominating win (14-6) against No. 7-seeded Milligan College on Thursday in the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament. The win advanced the Bears in the double elimination tournament.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
After senior Austin Bishop’s leadoff hit by pitch, junior Josh Johnston singled down the right field line. The senior third baseman, Patrick Overstreet, also reached base on a bunt base hit and McRae rose to the occasion. The freshman right fielder sent a grand slam over the left field fence on a 1-0 count to immediately put the Bears at a four-run advantage (4-0).
Still holding the Buffaloes scoreless, junior Calob Rowland drove home Overstreet at the top of the third with a sacrifice fly to right field (5-0) and sophomore Jackson Meadors’ double to deep right-center scored McRae and pinch runner Grant McDonel (7-0).
Meadors scored two more runs for the Bears in the top of the fifth with a single to center field (9-0) and a bases loaded wild pitch enabled another TMU run (10-0). Rowland drove in Overstreet with a single down the right field line and McRae ran home on a passed ball at the top of the sixth (12-0). Pinch hitter Jake Beach’s ground out to second scored Rowland (13-0) and Bishop scored TMU’s final run in the top of the ninth on Overstreet’s single to left (14-0). Milligan rallied to scored six runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth but the game proved to be out of reach (14-6).
LEADERS
Rowland went perfect the plate (3-for-3) with two RBI’s and two runs scored. Overstreet went 4-for-6 with a RBI and three runs scored. McRae tallied four RBI’s with four runs scored (3-for-5) while Johnston went 3-for-6 with one run scored and Meadors went 2-for-4 with four RBI’s.
Freshman Brooks Rosser earned the win throwing 6.0 innings allowing five hits, zero runs while striking out four. Avery Hopper and Nick Hammonds relieved Rosser for an inning apiece.
UP NEXT
The Bears will play again at 9 a.m., on Friday, May 3. Opponent to be determined.
