(RV) Baseball collects 30th win of the season

CLEVELAND, Ga. (April 25) - Milligan University baseball scored early and often on its way to securing the 10-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) win over host Truett McConnell University (Ga.) on Thursday.

The win improves the Buffs to 30-16 overall and 18-10 in conference play. This is Milligan's second 30-win season in the past three years as it went 36-21 during the 2022 campaign.

Vasili Kaloudis started the scoring with a two-run double in the first inning. In the fifth, the Buffaloes exploded for five runs to open up a 7-0 cushion. Braden Spano had the big hit in the inning with a two-run single, while Angel Lobo, Jose Paula, and Gaven Jones each drove in a run as well.

Truett McConnell tried to mount a comeback, scoring a run in the fourth before scoring twice in the sixth and seventh frames to make it a 7-5 contest. However, Spano put the icing on the cake with a three-run home run in the eighth to secure the 10-5 victory for the Buffaloes.

Spano finished the game 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored. Paula went 1-for-2 and scored three runs.

Ian Weil picked up the win for Milligan, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits and one walk.

Milligan and Truett McConnell will conclude the series with a doubleheader on Friday. First pitch is at 1 p.m.