3/4/19
CLEVELAND, Ga. (March 2, 2019) – After a late rally to win game one by the Truett McConnell University baseball team, the Bears dominated game two to sweep Saturday’s doubleheader against Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Milligan College (9-5, 12-2). The Bears improved to 8-6, 2-0 AAC on the year while the Buffs dropped to 4-8, 0-2 AAC.
GAME ONE (9-5)
The Buffs started out strong connecting for three doubles to score three runs in the bottom of the second (0-3). Both teams earned a run apiece in the third and fifth innings (2-5) but the Bears who sealed the deal in the eighth and ninth.
A misplayed grounder scored two runs for TMU in the eighth (4-5) but Patrick Overstreet scored the tying run in the ninth when teammate Tyler Pruett was walked (5-5). Freshman Mason McLendon came in to pinch hit and hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field which drove in Calob Rowland for the go-ahead run (6-5). Freshman pinch runner Grant McDonel slid home on a wild pitch to extend the Bears’ lead (7-5).
Senior leadoff Austin Bishop’s single to center field sent freshmen Pruett and Andrew Johnstonacross home plate to further put the game out of reach (9-5).
Sophomore Craig Barton entered into the game in the ninth to relieve freshman Brooks Rosser on the mound. Barton picked off the runner at first, forced a ground out and struck out the final batter to secure the first win of the day.
LEADERS | BY THE NUMBERS
Rosser earned his first collegiate win after pitching 5.0 innings allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out three and walking one.
Bishop, John Michael McRae, Jackson Meadors and Mason Gaines all recorded two hits apiece.
GAME TWO (12-2)
Josh Johnston sparked the first inning with a single through the hole at second base. After Johnston advanced to second on a wild pitch, Overstreet singled to the hole at shortstop which scored Johnston on a wild throw (1-0). McRae’s single to right-center drove in Overstreet to put the Bears at a two-run advantage right away (2-0).
With the Buffs still scoreless, Pruett was sent home on Bishop’s double down the left field line in the top of the second (3-0). Milligan scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the third but the Bears responded with another strong inning (3-2).
In the top of the fourth, Johnston tripled to deep right center field to score Bishop (4-2). Overstreet’s single down the left field line drove home Johnston (5-2) and McRae followed up with a double down the right field line to score Overstreet (6-2).
McLendon’s single in the fifth scored Rowland (7-2) and Bishop’s single to shallow left scored McLendon (8-2). Pruett was driven home by Johnston when he hit a sacrifice fly to center field (9-2).
McRae scored TMU’s 10th run on Beach’s single down the right field line in the sixth inning (10-2). Rowland’s run came on Bishop’s single down the right field line (11-2). The final run was scored by Beach on a Johnston single to second base (12-2).
Junior Matthew Dunaway smacked a double down the left field line in the top of the seventh which rounded out the Bears’ 19 hits.
LEADERS | BY THE NUMBERS
Senior Gregory Elder Jr. was credited his first win of the season after striking out nine batters, walking three and allowing two earned runs over the course of 4.1 innings.
TMU’s 1-2-3 batters accounted for 10 hits. Bishop went 4-for-5, Johnston went 3-for-4 and Overstreet went 3-for-5. McRae went 3-for-3, making him 5-for-7 on the day, and Pruett went 2-for-4.
UP NEXT
The Bears will host Milligan College for the third and final game of the AAC series on Monday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m.
