CLEVELAND, Ga. (March 11, 2020) – After suffering a heartbreaking conference loss on a walk off Monday afternoon, the Truett McConnell University baseball team dominated a midweek matchup against NCAA DII Southern Wesleyan University on Wednesday afternoon at the TMU Baseball Complex. The Bears run-ruled the Warriors 11-1 in eight innings to improve to 12-11, 4-2 AAC on the season, while SWU fell to 6-16. Last time they met, the Warriors came out on top 6-4.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
TMU's first run came in the bottom of the second when freshman Brian Meyer hit a sacrifice fly to left field foul territory, which drove home senior Josh Johnston (1-0). Despite a scoreless second and third for both teams, the Warriors recorded their lone run of the game in the top of the fourth on a solo shot over the center field fence (1-1), but it was only up from there for the Bears. Meyer sparked the bottom half of the inning with a double to deep right-center and went on to score the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice (2-1). Sophomore Grant McDonel's two-RBI single to right extended TMU's lead (4-1) but two more runs came to follow on Johnston's double to deep left-center (6-1).
After freshman Jacob Adam's three up three down outing in the top of the fifth, senior Shane Smith scored on a defensive missed catch (7-1) and once again McDonel hit a two-RBI single, this time up the middle, to ultimately put the game out of reach (9-1). The top of the sixth saw another three up three down inning, this time by sophomore Evan Gravitt from the mound, and Johnston added another run for the Bears on Meyer's single to right field (10-1) in the bottom half. Nonetheless, freshman Gabe Allison ran home on fielder's choice in the eighth (11-1), which put the mercy rule into effect.
LEADERS
Overall, the Bears outhit the Warriors 10-3 and were individually led by Meyer, Connor Bearden and McDonel, who all went 2-for-3. Johnston, however, was perfect at the plate (1-for-1) with two runs, two RBI's and three walks. Meyer added two RBI's, while Smith and Griffith each added two runs. Allison, Griffith and B.J. Roper all added a hit apiece.
Freshman Jonathan Joiner made the start for the Bears throwing the first three innings to allow zero hits and zero runs, while striking out two. Adams, however, was credited the win after two innings of two hits, one run and one strikeout. Gravitt and senior Nick Hammonds both made appearances for TMU in the closing three innings.
UP NEXT
The Bears are back on the road for another Appalachian Athletic Conference three-game weekend series at St. Andrews University on Friday, March 13 – Saturday, March 14.
