ATHENS, Tenn.— Closing out its three-game series against the No. 2-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, the Montreat baseball team put up a fight but couldn't overcome the hosts in either game of the doubleheader, falling 7-1 and 8-2. With the defeats in Athens, Tenn., the Cavaliers enter their final series of the regular season with a 28-24 (10-17 AAC) record.
Chase Bruno slapped a one-out double to right center in the top of the first, but that proved to be as far as Bruno or any Cavalier would advance on the basepaths through eight innings in game one.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs were aggressive at the dish, and it paid dividends in the bottom of the first. A six-hit initial frame for Tennessee Wesleyan—five singles and one double—pushed across four runs to give the hosts an early edge.
After going 1-2-3 in the second, TWU was back to scoring runs in the third frame. A pair of knocks drove in two more runs, building a 6-0 advantage for Tennessee Wesleyan. Just an inning later, the Bulldogs scored their fifth two-out run of the game to lead the Cavaliers by seven through four frames. The Bulldogs ultimately hit 9-17 with two outs in the opener.
Michael Bell recorded Montreat's second hit of the ballgame in the fifth, but Tennessee Wesleyan quickly dealt with the danger and held the Cavs scoreless in the inning.
The Cavalier bullpen quieted the Bulldog offense for the final four frames.
Adam Bingham threw three solid innings in relief in game one, allowing just a single run on two hits. The Trinity, Fla. native sent TWU down in order in two of his three innings pitched.
Kadien Dean and
Brandon Russell each threw a scoreless frame as well.
Montreat avoided the shutout thanks to back-to-back doubles to lead off the ninth inning. Bruno tallied his second extra-base hit of the afternoon, while
Rey Gonce lined a rocket into center field to score Bruno. That proved to be all the Cavs could muster in game one as they lost to the Bulldogs by a 7-1 scoreline.
Bruno (2-3) had half of the Cavaliers' four hits in the initial contest, while Bell (1-2) and Gonce (1-2) were responsible for the other two knocks.
For the first time in the series, it was Montreat who scored first in game two. While the Cavaliers couldn't take advantage of a leadoff double by
Norman Kelly in the first inning, they found more success at the plate during their second time through the order. In the top of the fourth,
Rafael Padilla started things off with a single. A groundout and an error brought Padilla around the bases and across home plate, and a Bruno single up the middle scored
Tarik Latchmansingh, putting the Cavs up by a couple of runs entering the bottom of the fourth (2-0).
Tennessee Wesleyan (44-5, 24-3 AAC), which was held quiet by
Jared Drayton for three innings, scratched a pair of runs across in the fourth inning to knot the ballgame at two. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a fielder's choice brought the Bulldogs level with the Cavaliers.
Ben Brown led off the top of the fifth with a double, but Montreat couldn't capitalize to regain the lead. Meanwhile, the hosts didn't take long to seize their first edge in game two. A solo shot to right field kicked off the bottom of the fifth inning, and a one-out single scored another run as TWU built a 4-2 lead entering the final two innings of regulation.
After the Cavaliers went 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs created additional breathing room in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a leadoff solo homer and a three-run blast. Tennessee Wesleyan then sent Montreat down in order in the seventh frame as well, sealing its 8-2 victory in game two.
Like game one, the Cavs registered four hits throughout the contest. Kelly, Padilla, Bruno and Brown all had one base knock in the latter of the two ballgames.
The Montreat baseball team wraps up its regular season with a three-game series at Union College on Friday and Saturday in Barbourville, Ky. First pitch of the series-opener is scheduled for Friday at 1:00 p.m.
