LAURINBURG, N.C. (April 11, 2019) – The No. 20 Truett McConnell University baseball team defeated St. Andrews University twice on Thursday (10-0, 11-9) to win the three-game Appalachian Athletic Conference series. The Bears improved to 25-11, 16-4 AAC on the year while the Knights declined to 19-22, 4-16 AAC.

GAME ONE (10-0) | BARTON'S COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT

After four scoreless innings, junior Josh Johnston sent his seventh homerun of the season over the right field fence on a full count to put the Bears out front for good (1-0). TMU proved to put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh. All six runs by the Bears came with two outs. Most notable, Calob Rowland drove home John Michael McRae, Jackson Meadors and Patrick Overstreet on a double to deep right-center (6-0). Mason Gaines' RBI single through the hole at shortstop (7-0) and Connor Bearden's single through the hole at second base rounded out the dominating inning for TMU.

Still holding the Knights scoreless, Overstreet sparked another big inning for the Bears with a double to deep center field in the top of the ninth. Rowland followed up with his second double of the day to send home Overstreet (8-0). Pinch hitter Jake Beach singled through the hole at second base to score Rowland (9-0) and Austin Bishop's single through the hole at second base scored Gaines (10-0) to further put the game out of reach.

Craig Barton earned his first complete game shutout of his sophomore campaign after allowing just two hits and striking out 15. The 15 K's set the new single game record for the program trumping the previous record set by teammate Gregory Elder Jr. (14), respectively.

LEADERS

Rowland led the way at the plate going 4-for-5 with four RBI's and two runs scored. Bishop and Overstreet each went 2-for-4. Rowland and Overstreet had two doubles apiece. Johnston followed going 2-for-6.

GAME TWO (11-9)

The Bears got hot right off the bat in the top of the first swinging for five hits. Rowland's bunt for a base hit drove in the first run of the game (1-0) and Meadors' double to deep right field sent home Overstreet and Rowland to immediately put TMU at a three run advantage (3-0). St. Andrews responded with four runs of their own (3-4) but the Bears didn't stay behind for long. After Johnston and Bishop's singles, Overstreet sent his 34th career dinger over the right field fence on the first pitch (6-4).

The Knights scored once in the bottom half of the third (6-5) and both teams scored once more in the fourth (7-6) but the Bears never let up the lead. After a leadoff double by Will Ingram in the top of the fifth, Bishop drove Ingram home on a bunt base hit (8-6). Johnston scored again for the Bears in the fifth when Rowland reached base on a walk (9-6). Additionally, another double by Overstreet scored Tyler Pruett in the top of the sixth (10-6).

St. Andrews rallied in the bottom of the sixth to score three (10-9) but it proved not enough. McRae, in fact, gave TMU a two-run cushion in the seventh with his first collegiate homer over the center field fence (11-9).

Elder was credited his fifth win of his senior campaign after throwing the first five innings allowing five hits and striking out 13. Freshman Brooks Rosser earned the save after relieving for the final 2.0 allowing two hits and striking out one.

LEADERS

Overstreet and McRae had stellar outings at the plate going 4-for-5. Overstreet had four RBI's and two runs while McRae had two runs; each had a 2B and HR. Johnston followed going 2-for-3 with three runs and two walks. Bishop and Rowland both went 2-for-4.

UP NEXT

TMU is set to face St. Andrews for game three of the series on Friday at 12:00 p.m.