KINGSPORT, Tenn. (May 7, 2021) – The No. 8-seeded Truett McConnell University baseball team eliminated the No. 5-seeded Columbia International University from the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament in a thrilling 11-10 win before suffering elimination in a 9-1 loss to No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan University in the semifinals, which is TMU's second consecutive trip to the AAC Tournament Semifinals. TMU's win over CIU is now the second higher second that the Bears have eliminated from the tournament. The Bears concluded their season with a record of 29-23, 14-15 AAC.
 
GAME ONE THRILLER (11-10)
The Rams got up on the board in the first (0-1) but Mason Gaines matched it in the second after a leadoff double (1-1). After a quick three up three down bottom of the second, Tanner Griffith fueled a strong four-run third for TMU. Griffith ran home on Andrew Johnston's sacrifice fly (2-1), Josh Johnston scored on Gaines' single through the hole at short (3-1), Mascarello scored on Devyn Munroe's hit by pitch (4-1) and Gaines scored on Will Ingram's walk (5-1). Gaines hit a solo shot over the left field on the first pitch (6-1) in the fifth before CIU scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and sixth to get within three (6-3). The Bears also recorded one run in both the seventh and eighth innings off of a CIU defensive error and a Cason King single (8-3) but the bottom of the eighth saw the Rams rally to get out front by one with six runs (8-9).
 
Fifth-year senior J. Johnston, however, rose to the occasion in the ninth with runners on first and second with two outs. J. Johnston doubled to deep left-center to score two (9-8), ultimately avoiding elimination. CIU managed to tie it up again in the bottom of the ninth on a single (9-9) but a pair of leadoff singles for the Bears in the extra inning led them to score one unanswered run that sealed the deal (10-9). Reliever Brooks Rosser, in fact, struck out three consecutive batters to clinch the win in the bottom of the 10th.
 
LEADERS
Overall, TMU recorded a total of 18 hits to CIU's 10. Munroe (1-for-5) led the way with three RBIs, while Gaines went 4-for-6, including a homerun, with two RBIs. J. Johnston also had two RBIs (2-for-6), while King went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Ingram and Galassi added two hits apiece.
 
Pitcher Jacob Adams made the start for TMU, while Jared Johnson, Andrew Fry, Gabe Dyar, Jonathan Joiner and Rosser all relieved. Rosser was credited the win after 2.2 innings of four hits, two runs, zero walks and five strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO, ELIMINATION (1-9)
Andrew Johnston tripled shallow down the right field line but was left on base before the reigning national champions and No. 1 ranked and seeded Bulldogs (50-4, 26-4 AAC) went on to get ahead by five through three innings (0-5). Galassi fueled the top of the sixth for TMU with a leadoff single through the hole at second and scored the Bears' lone run of the evening on A. Johnston's single to left (1-5). The Bulldogs scored two more runs in both the sixth and seventh innings (1-9) and TMU was unable to recover as TWU's pitching staff, including seven innings from the AAC pitcher of the year, held the Bears to a total of five hits, ultimately resulting in a final score of 1-9.
 
LEADERS
A. Johnston recorded two of TMU'S five hits (2-for-4) with the lone RBI, while Mascarello went 1-for-4 and Galassi went 1-for-2 with the lone run. Bishop entered into the game midway through to record a double down the left field line.
 
Pitcher Cason Brown made the start, while Rosser relived for 4.2 innings to record a single game career high of 13 strikeouts. Redshirt junior Craig Barton also relieved for an inning allowing one hit and zero runs.