CLEVELAND, Ga. (Apr. 2, 2021) – The Truett McConnell University baseball team won big (15-5) in game one of the Bryan College series on Friday night at the TMU Baseball Complex. The win put the Bears back at .500 on the season (14-14, 4-9 AAC), while the No. 13 Lions fell to 22-9, 9-6 AAC.
TMU will look to clinch the Appalachian Athletic Conference series over the Lions during Saturday's doubleheader, which will begin at 1:00 p.m.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Lions got up on the board first right away in the first on a two-run home run (0-2), but the bottom of the third saw senior Mason Gaines blast a three-run home run over the center field on a 2-0 count to take the lead (3-2). After back-to-back scoreless innings, Bryan got back out front with two runs in the sixth (3-4), but the bottom half saw the Bears take the lead once and for all. Three runs were scored off of two Bryan wild throws (6-4) and Josh Johnston's double to left-center scored another (7-4). The Lions hit another home run in the seventh (7-5), but that would be the last time Bryan scored the rest of the way, while it was only up from there for TMU.
An explosive seven-run inning for the Bears ultimately proved to put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh. A Logan Nelson double scored Ethan Roberts (8-5), a Will Ingram single through the hole at second scored Cason King (9-5), a Bryan misplayed grounder allowed Tanner Griffith to run home (10-5), a Mikal Mascarello walk scored Jordan Kenty (11-5) and an Andrew Johnston double deep down the left field line scored three more (14-5). Ingram capped off TMU's scoring on the night with a single that drove home King (15-5), which forced the run rule into play.
BY THE NUMBERS
Overall, the Bears recorded a total of 11 hits to Bryan's eight. TMU was individually led by Gaines with three RBIs. A. Johnston also led with three RBIs and went 3-for-5. Devyn Munroe went 2-for-4 with three runs, while J. Johnston and Ingram each went 2-for-5.
Pitcher Brooks Rosser made the start for TMU and earned his fourth win of the season after throwing six innings of four hits, four runs, six walks and eight strikeouts. Jared Johnson relieved for 0.2 innings allowing three hits, one run and had two strikeouts. Craig Barton had 1.1 innings pitched allowing a single hit and one walk, while recording two strikeouts.
