CLEVELAND, Ga. (Feb. 25, 2021) – The Truett McConnell University baseball team hosted Milligan University for their Appalachian Athletic Conference opener on Thursday afternoon. After falling 19-13 in game one, the Bears bounced back with a 10-2 win over the Buffs (8-4, 1-1 AAC), which put them at 8-6, 1-1 AAC on the year.
GAME ONE 13-19
Milligan was capable of getting up on the board right off the bat in the first (0-2), but Devyn Munroe sparked the bottom half with a double down the left field line. Munroe scored on Andrew Johnston's single to first, which was followed up by another RBI single from freshman Mikal Mascarello (2-2). A wild pitch, however, allowed A. Johnston to run home for the go-ahead run (3-2). The Buffs matched it right away in the second (3-3) but once again, TMU got back out front with two runs in the bottom (5-3) and added three more in the third (8-3), but it was only up from there for the Buffs. Milligan had back-to-back seven-run innings, in comparison to the Bears' one run (9-17), and TMU was ultimately unable to catch up, resulting in a 19-13 final score.
LEADERS
Munroe had a perfect (5-for-5) game at the plate, including two runs and one RBI. A. Johnston went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs. Senior Mason Gaines went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Mascarello went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a run.
Cason Brown made the start for TMU throwing 3.1 innings, while Andrew Fry, Jacob Adams and Jared Johnson all relieved.
GAME TWO 10-2
TMU scored first on a Mascarello single (1-0) and again in the second on Will Ingram's ground out (2-0) but it was the third inning that proved to be the difference. Josh Johnston doubled down the right field line to fuel a strong five-run inning for TMU. After stealing third, J. Johnston ran home on A. Johnston's single to short (3-0). Freshman Kodi Bishop followed up with a three-run home run over the left field fence on a 2-2 count (6-0). The third was capped off by Ingram's double to deep left-center, which scored C.J. Thomas to give the Bears a seven-run lead (7-0).
Milligan only scored twice more the rest of the way, while the Bears added three more in the fourth, which resulted in a final score of 10-2.
LEADERS
J. Johnston went 3-for-4, including two doubles, with three runs. Mascarello, Bishop and Ingram all went 2-for-3. Bishop led with four RBIs, while Ingram added two. A. Johnston went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Junior Brooks Rosser earned the win after throwing a complete game of four hits, two runs, four walks and 12 strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Game three of the three-game AAC series is to be determined. No game will be played Friday, Feb. 26, however, weather permitted Saturday, Feb. 27, is a possibility.
