CLEVELAND, Ga. (April 26, 2024) - On Thursday-Friday, the Truett McConnell University baseball team competed in their final series of the season against Appalachian Athletic Conference foe RV Milligan University, inside the TMU Baseball Complex. The Bears suffered a tough loss in game one (5-10), but banded together to sweep the doubleheader with scores of 11-10 and 5-3. TMU concludes the season with an overall record of 19-26, 10-19 AAC.
GAME ONE | 5-10 Loss
Game one proved a challenge for the Bears right at the start as Milligan hit the board in the first two innings with seven runs. A Mikel Mascarello RBI in the bottom of the fourth inning put TMU in the game, while a Mascarello double put the game within four runs of evening the score (7-3). The seventh inning saw the final moves for the Bears as a hbp scored one, and Mascarello walked in a final RBI (5-10).
LEADERS
Mascarello went 1 for 4 at the plate with four RBIs, while Ethan Roberts went 2 for 4 with one runs and Caleb Adair went 1 for 4 with one RBI.
GAME TWO | Ninth Inning Showdown
The Buffs struck strong first once again in game one of the series doubleheader with eight runs in the first inning. The Bears were not shaken as they added runs of their own, starting with a Caleb Williams RBI single and Jordan Kenty misplayed ball to score one run. The inning concluded with an Adair RBI single and Tanner Griffith RBI to make the score 4-8 going into the second inning. Milligan added a single run in the top of the fourth, but TMU kept the momentum rolling as they added three runs in the bottom sparked by a Mascarello solo homer and ending with a Williams RBI single (7-9). The sixth inning proved game changing for the Bears as two sets of RBI doubles, an RBI single and smart base running stole the lead for TMU. With the ninth inning in play, sharp defense by the Bears ultimately held the Buffs as bay as the game was secured with a final TMU double play to keep the score 11-10.
LEADERS
Mascarello and Williams individually went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and one run, followed by Ramsey who went 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs, while Roberts went 2 for 4 with two runs and Griffith went 2 for 4 with one run and one RBI. Ryan Coughanour earned the win after pitching through 2.2 game changing innings, while Phillip Braswell earned the save after holding off the Buffs in the final inning.
GAME THREE | 5-3 Win
The Bears increased in speed to secure an early lead in game three after a Williams single scored Roberts. The Buffs responded with two runs, but great execution by the Bears saw Jacob Karvelas put the ball in play to score Matthew Redmond, followed by a misplayed ball hit by Ramsey to score one run and a Mascarello RBI single to score a fourth run (4-2). The final run for TMU hit the board in the fourth inning after a ball to the right field side hit by Ramsey scored Karvelas. Caleb Johnson gave it his all from the mound as he held off the Buffs offense through seven complete innings, ultimately securing the win with a final score of 5-3.
LEADERS
Mascarello led the way going 2 for 3 at the plate with one RBI, followed by Dylan Sargent who went 2 for 3 and Ramsey who went 1 for 3 with one run and two RBIs. Karvelas recorded one hit, one run and one RBI, while Johnson earned the win after pitching seven innings and tallied eight strikeouts on the day.
