(BLUEFIELD, Va.) – The Truett McConnell University baseball team traveled north to take on Bluefield University in an Appalachian Athletic Conference doubleheader. The Bears swept the Rams with a 9-7 win in game one and a 7-0 shutout win in game two. TMU moves to 27-10 (12-6 AAC) on the season, while Bluefield drops to 13-19 (3-16 AAC).
GAME 1 | 9-7
TMU got out to an early lead in the top of the first inning, where Matt Redmond led off with a single and moved to second after Tanner Griffith drew a walk. A couple of batters later, with bases loaded, Ethan Roberts walked which scored Redmond from third. Jacob Karvelas walked in the next at-bat, scoring Andrew Johnston, while Dylan Sagent singled to center, scoring two more runs to make it a 4-0 lead. Bluefield answered with two runs in the bottom of the first and another run in the bottom of the third to get within one trip around the bases. The Bears returned the favor with three runs in the top of the sixth inning, including two RBI singles from Roberts and Karvelas to help make it 8-4 in favor of TMU. The Rams attempted another comeback with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but one more insurance run was added on by the Bears in the eighth, and would ultimately secure the win with a final score of 9-7.
LEADERS
Four different Bears had a multi-hit game, including Mikal Mascarello who went 3-6 with two runs. Redmond had a pair of singles with one walk and one run. Edwards went 2-5 with two runs and Karvales went 2-3 with two RBIs and one walk. Sargent led the team with three RBIs after going 1-2 at the plate. Pitcher Jonathan Joiner pitched two full shutout innings, only surrendering one hit, en route to earning the save.
GAME 2 | 7-0
The first three innings consisted of a scoreless game, until the fourth inning when Mascarello led off with a double and eventually was brought home from a Jake Edwards RBI sacrifice fly. In the fifth inning, TMU kept the offense rolling when Andrew Fry led off with a single, soon to be followed by a Redmond single. With runners on first and second, Johnston lasered a three-run home run to make it 4-0. TMU added one more run to make it 5-0 heading into the sixth inning. In the sixth, the Bears kept the pressure on when Griffith added two more runs with a two RBI double to help secure the 7-0 win.
LEADERS
Johnston went 1-3 at the plate accounting for his three-run home run and tallied two walks. Mascerello went 2-3, Redmond went 2-4 and they both individually had two runs.
Pitcher Caleb Johnson went the distance, pitching seven shutout innings, giving up only three hits and striking out two batters.
UP NEXT
TMU will return home to the TMU Baseball Complex to take on Johnson University in a three-game series starting on Friday, April 14 at 5:00 p.m.
