ATHENS, Tenn. (Mar. 26, 2021) – The Truett McConnell University baseball team traveled to face the reigning NAIA National Champions, No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan University, on Friday afternoon for games one and two of another three-game Appalachian Athletic Conference series. TMU fell 8-5 in nine innings in game one and 5-1 in seven innings in game two, which put the Bears at 13-13, 3-8 AAC on the season. TWU improved to 26-2, 12-2 AAC on the season.
 
GAME ONE 5-8
After two scoreless innings, TWU led off the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles, which was followed up by a three-run homerun and a two-run homerun (0-5). Tanner Griffith led off the sixth with a hit by pitch and scored TMU's first run on Josh Johnston's double to right (1-3). A TWU wild throw took place when Johnston tried to steal third, which allowed Johnston to score another run for the Bears in the third (2-3). Devyn Munroe then followed up with a homer to left-center (3-5).
 
The Bears went on to tie it up at the top of the seventh after a lead off single from Mason Gaines. Another TWU wild throw allowed two more runs for the Bears to tie it up 5-5 but the Bulldogs got hot in the bottom of the eighth. TWU hit another two-run home run and a solo shot over the center field fence to ultimately clinch their first win of the day (5-8).
 
LEADERS
J. Johnston led the way with two doubles going 2-for-5 with one run and RBI. Gaines followed going 2-for-4 with a run, while Munroe, Andrew Johnston, and Mikal Mascarello all added one hit apiece. Senior pitcher Craig Barton made the start for TMU throwing seven innings of eight hits, seven runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. Sophomore Andrew Fry relieved for an inning.
 
GAME TWO 1-5
The Bears got up on the board first in game two. After J. Johnston reached base on a double at the top of the first, J. Johnston ran home on A. Johnston's single to center (1-0). It was only up from there for the Bulldogs, however. Despite holding TWU scoreless in the first, second and third innings, the Bulldogs scored five runs in the top of the fifth (1-5) and TMU was never capable of recovering.
 
LEADERS
Mascarello led the way going 2-for-3, while J. Johnston, A. Johnston, Gaines and Griffith all went 1-for-3. A. Johnston led with the lone RBI. Junior pitcher Brooks Rosser made the start for TMU throwing 3.2 innings of four hits, four runs, four walks and three strikeouts. Jared Johnson, Gabe Dyar and Jonathan Joiner all relieved.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will look to face the Bulldogs once more for game three of the AAC series on Monday, Mar. Mar. 29, at 2:00 p.m.