CLEVELAND, Ga. (Feb. 27, 2021) – After splitting Thursday's doubleheader, the Truett McConnell University baseball team fell 10-8 to Milligan University, which allowed the Buffs to take the first Appalachian Athletic Conference three-game series of the season. TMU fell to 8-7, 1-2 AAC on the year, while the Buffs improved to 9-4, 2-1 AAC.
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
After two scoreless innings, Milligan got up on the board first on a two-run homerun (0-2), but Will Ingram's leadoff walk in the third led to a go-ahead run. Pinch runner Ethan Roberts scored on Cason King's bunt base hit (1-2), but it was Mikal Mascarello's two-run home run over the center field fence on a full count that gave the Bears the lead (3-2). Milligan immediately matched it in the fourth (3-3) and added four more in the fifth (3-7). It came down to the wire, however, in the ninth.
 
The Buffs scored three more runs at the top if the ninth (3-10), but Andrew Johnston's leadoff hit by pitch fueled a strong five-run comeback inning for the Bears. A. Johnston scored on Tanner Griffith's single to right (4-10), King's single down the right field line scored two more (6-10), Roberts scored on a wild pitch (7-10) and King ran home on Josh Johnston's two-out single to shallow right field (8-10). With the tying run on first, Milligan made a sub from the bullpen, which ultimately held off the Bears to clinch the series win on a strike out.
 
LEADERS
Mascarello, Griffith and King all went 2-for-4 with Mascarello and King leading with two RBIs apiece. King and Roberts led with two runs. J. Johnston and Kodi Bishop added one hit apiece. Devyn Munroe, J. Johnston and Griffith all had one RBI apiece.
 
Gabe Dyar made the start for TMU, while Craig Barton, Jared Johnson, Andrew Fry and Jacob Adams all relieved combining for a total of seven strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT
The Bear are on the road at Toccoa Falls College on Tuesday, March 2, at 2:00 p.m., before their first AAC road series at Union College on Friday, March 5 – Saturday, March 6.