KINGSPORT, Tenn.— The Montreat baseball team took on the fifth-seeded Bryan College Lions Thursday afternoon in a WinWon Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Baseball Tournament elimination game. Playing as the No. 10 seed at Hunter Wright Stadium, the Cavaliers grabbed an early lead but couldn't quite come out on top as they ended their year with an 8-7 defeat and a 21-32 (11-19 AAC) record.
 
Montreat jumped out to a 3-0 lead as it racked up seven hits across the initial four frames. The designated visitors on the scoreboard plated their first three runs via at-bats featuring Kaden Ethier. A native of Randleman, N.C., Ethier drove in Manny Moore with an infield single during the top of the second. Ethier then pushed home another run in the fourth with a fielder's choice before scoring on Dean Davis's RBI knock to deep center.
 
Bryan (30-19, 18-12 AAC) answered back in a big way during the bottom of the fourth. While the Lions struck out six times and failed to muster a hit against starter Ashe Ammerlaan through the first 3 1/3 innings, they eventually capitalized on their initial knock and some free bases. BC scored five runs, three off Ammerlaan, to seize a 5-3 advantage midway through the contest.
 
Blake Watts helped the Cavs respond immediately with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth; however, Montreat ultimately came up short in its quest for the game-tying run. The Cavaliers left runners on the corners in the sixth inning, while Bryan tacked on a trio of insurance runs during the seventh frame.
 
Jason Brulport, Richard Matos Delacruz and Davis rattled off three straight two-out doubles in the top of the eighth, halving the deficit in the process. Moore later sent Jaider Morelos home in the ninth via an RBI groundout. Despite a valiant effort and a late surge, Montreat left the tying run at third. As a result, the Lions escaped with an 8-7 win.
 
The Cavs outhit their counterparts, 14-5, but Bryan capitalized on an 11-3 edge in walks. Davis led the squad with three knocks, while Brulport and Moore both tallied two hits. Both Davis and Ethier drove in a pair of runs. Morelos, Moore and Ethier scored twice. In total, five of the Cavaliers' 14 hits went for extra bases.
 
Ammerlaan went 3 1/3 innings in his start before being relieved by Nick Kantzavelos. Braden Holliday faced one batter, while Trevor Laughlin and Hunter Rast wrapped up the game with one and two frames, respectively. Rast hurled two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
 
With the loss, Montreat's postseason journey and 2025 season came to a close.