Baseball wins two to keep tournament hopes alive

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (May 3, 2024) - The Milligan University baseball team's Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament chances hung in the balance on Friday at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn. With their loss to the top-seeded Eagles of Reinhardt University (Ga.) the previous night, the Buffaloes were tasked with compiling a pair of wins against their tournament-opening opponent, Bryan College (Tenn.), and another challenging bout with Reinhardt. In the end, heroic performances from several members of the Milligan squad proved to pave the way to two massive wins.

Following an early 2-0 lead for Bryan in game one, the Buffs rallied for six of the next seven runs, nabbing a 6-3 win to stay alive entering the day's finale.

Game two against the Eagles was hotly contested, as Milligan led 4-0 in the early stages. Then, Reinhardt came storming back, but were thwarted with another crooked number by the Buffs late in the tilt.

Milligan stands at 33-19 overall after the high-pressure victories and will return to the diamond at Hunter Wright Stadium tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. for another crack at the Reinhardt squad, in a win-or-go-home clash. The winner advances to the AAC Tournament Championship Game at 4 p.m.

Game 1 - Milligan 6, Bryan 3

Facing off with the squad that they beat in their Tournament opener, the Buffaloes allowed Bryan to score the game's first two runs this time around. One run in both the top of the first and the top of the second made it 2-0 for the Lions early on.

Luckily, a four-run bottom of the fourth would buoy the Milligan squad, as run-scoring singles from Caleb Berry and Cade Kalehuawehe, along with a two-run single from Andrew Mathias made it 4-2 Buffs with five innings to play.

A single run from the Lions in the seventh made it a one-run game, but Vasili Kaloudis doubled that output with a two-RBI two-bagger, as the Buffs would coast through the last two frames to a 6-3 win to keep their tourney hopes alive.

The trio of Creed Werker, Jacob Bishop, and Austin Maxey teamed up to limit the Bryan offense from the pitcher's mound. They allowed a combined three earned runs on 10 hits, while striking out six Lion batters.

Game 2 - Milligan 7, Reinhardt 3

After each team had a pair of scoreless stanzas, Milligan broke through in a big way in the top of the third. The four-run outburst began with a two-run triple by Berry, scoring both Angel Lobo and Mathias. Jose Paula then singled into center field to push Berry home, and Kaloudis singled to drive in Paula.

Reinhardt would respond, though, as they cut that lead in half in the bottom of the third. They would then score another single tally in the bottom of the fifth to make it a one-run game, 4-3.

The Buffs had several prime opportunities to add to their lead in the middle innings of the tilt, but left runners in scoring position in crucial moments. That would end in the top of the eighth inning, when Kaloudis stepped to the plate with two outs in the frame and two runners on base. With a 3-2 count, he turned on a pitch and drilled it over the scoreboard in right field to give Milligan a four-run cushion, 7-3.

That is where the score would stay, as Vince LaConte continued his stellar pitching display, pitching six innings in relief and allowing only one run in his stead on six hits. He had eight punchouts against the potent Reinhardt lineup.

Berry and Kaloudis combined to go 7-for-8 with six runs batted in in the battle, pacing their squad, while Lobo and Paula each went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.