KINGSPORT, Tenn. (May 6, 2021) – The No. 8-seeded Truett McConnell University baseball team defeated No. 9-seeded Bluefield College in the Appalachian Athletic Conference play-in game (7-6) on Tanner Griffith's walk-off single before suffering a loss against No. 1-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan University (11-5) at Hunter Wright Stadium on Wednesday evening.
 
The split put TMU at 27-22, 14-15 AAC, and the Bears will now face No. 4-seeded Milligan University in an elimination game at approximately 12:00 p.m.
 
GAME ONE 7-6 | GRIFFITH'S WALK-OFF
The Rams came out swinging in the top of the first, capable of hitting the board (0-1), but the Bears were quick to respond with a run of their own to even the score, after an RBI single to right from Andrew Johnston scored Josh Johnston, who reached first from a walk and advanced to second from an infield single by Mikal Mascarello (1-1). Bluefield retaliated in the top of the second with two more runs to steal back the lead (1-3), and it wasn't until the bottom of the sixth that TMU put up five runs to break away with the lead after a one-hour and 15-minute delay.
 
The inning was sparked by a Mason Gaines double to left center, who then advanced to third on a Cason King single and scored from a Griffith sacrifice bunt (2-3). A single up the middle by Devyn Munroe scored King, and a Kodi Bishop double deep down the left field line scored two more runs for the Bears (5-3). The inning was topped off with a Mascarello single up the middle to score TMU's final run of the inning (6-3). The top of the eighth saw the gap bridged by the Rams with a score of 6-6, but the bottom of the ninth saw the Bears on top as the game was won by a walk-off single by Griffith, which scored Ethan Roberts, the pinch runner for A. Johnston, who was on from single to left, to end the game with a final score of 7-6.
 
LEADERS
Gaines led the way going 3-for-5 at the plate with a single run, followed by Griffith who went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Mascarello who went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one walk. J. Johnston went 1-for-3 with one run and two walks, while Bishop was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. King went 2-for-5 with one run, Munroe went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one run and Will Ingram had a single hit and one walk.
 
Pitcher Cason Brown pitched the first four innings, including three runs, five hits, one walk and two strikeouts, while Brooks Rosser was credited the win, recording four hits, three runs, two walks and three strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO 5-11
The reigning AAC tournament and NAIA national champions got up on the board first with six runs off of five hits in the bottom of the third (0-6) before TMU scored their first run of the evening off of a Gaines double that drove home A. Johnston (1-6). The top of the sixth saw TMU score again after J. Johnston's leadoff hit by pitch, which was followed up by a Mascarello left field single. A. Johnston scored J. Johnston on a sacrifice fly to left (2-6) but the Bears were forced to leave two on base before the Bulldogs added two more runs of their own in the bottom half (2-8). TMU answered with a three-run rally in the seventh, which featured a Bishop two-run homerun over the left field fence on the second pitch (4-8), and an A. Johnston RBI let-center single (5-8). That would be the last time the Bears scored the rest of the way as the Bulldogs recorded three more unanswered runs in the eighth, ultimately resulting in a final score of 5-11.
 
LEADERS
Gaines and Bishop each led the way going 2-for-4, including a Gaines double and Bishop homer. Bishop and A. Johnston (1-for-2) led the way with two RBIs apiece, while Mascarello and Munroe added one hit apiece.
 
Pitcher Gabe Dyar made the start throwing three innings of six hits, six runs, two walks and four strikeouts. Craig Barton was amongst the group of six relievers. Barton recorded two strikeouts, while Andrew Fry, Jacob Adams, Jared Johnson and C.J. Thomas recorded one apiece.