MARION, N.C.— The Montreat baseball team took one of its two competitions against the Truett McConnell University Bears at Big League Camp in Marion, N.C. Saturday afternoon. After a 4-1 defeat, the Cavs bounced back with a 3-1 victory to improve to 15-14 overall and 8-6 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play.
 
Game one turned out to be a 14-inning pitchers' duel as the teams battled back and forth. Daniel Willie pitched masterfully, striking out six through the first four innings without surrendering a run over the span.
 
Though the Bears notched one run in the fifth on a pair of base hits, Willie continued to shove on the mound. In the end, the graduate student pitched 10 innings, allowing just four hits and the run while fanning 12 TMU batters.
 
Montreat leveled the contest to force extras after scoring on a drop by the shortstop in the eighth; however, the Bears capitalized on a pair of Cavalier miscues in the 14^th inning to plate a trio of runs and take the matchup 4-1. Jeff Cardazzone tallied half of the home team's hits in game one thanks to a 3-for-6 performance at the dish.
 
Will Gamble got the scoring started in the bottom of the third as his sacrifice fly to right gave the Cavs a 1-0 advantage. Necumba Booker Jr. then came through with a 2-RBI single to expand the lead to three following three frames of action.
 
Though TMU (15-8, 8-5 AAC) notched a tally in the ensuing half-inning, Case Jaworski kept the Bears at bay for the remainder of the 7-inning affair. Jaworski, who threw a complete game, stranded eight Truett baserunners over his seven frames of work, while giving up the lone run and striking out seven batters in the 2-run triumph.
 
Despite being outhit 11-5 in the latter matchup, Montreat utilized timely knocks from five different players to secure the win and move over .500 on the year.
 
Baseball finishes its 3-game set on Monday with a game against the Bears at Newell Field in Montreat, N.C. First pitch of the matchup is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.