Both 'If' Games are Necessary

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Day four of the 2024 AAC baseball tournament belonged to Montreat and Milligan, as both won two games to keep their seasons alive.

Montreat needed a three-run walk-off triple to win the first game of the day and then knocked off Tennessee Wesleyan to force a final game in its bracket, while Milligan eliminated Bryan and then beat Reinhardt to force the "if necessary" game in its bracket.

Action will begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. when Montreat and Tennessee Wesleyan will meet again with both a trip to the championship game and an automatic bid into the national tournament at stake.

After that is coming the third meeting in as many days between Milligan and Reinhardt.

The winner-take-all championship game will follow.

The tournament is being held at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn.

Tickets are now available and can be purchased by clicking here.

If unable to attend in person, all games will be streamed live online. To watch, click here.

Montreat 9, Union 8: First baseman Tommy Ramos walked it off with a three-run double to right-center field to secure the win for the Cavaliers. Ramos, who also had a run-scoring double in the eighth, had homered in the third to get his team on the scoreboard. Jeff Cardazzone had four hits while Michael Bell had two hits and drove two in. Ernesto Moreno had three hits, including a triple, and three RBIs for the Bulldogs.

Milligan 6, Bryan 3: Trailing 2-0, Milligan scored four in the fourth and added two more in the seventh to advance. Vasili Kaloudis and Andrew Mathias drove in two runs each and Braden Spano had three hits for the Buffaloes. League Player of the Year Bryson Lofton had three hits for the Lions.

Montreat 6, Tennessee Wesleyan 5: The Cavaliers created a run in the top of the eighth to remain alive in the double-elimination tournament. Mitch Ball drew a walk, stole second and moved to third on a ground out. When Jeff Cardazzone grounded to third, Ball scored what would prove to be the winning run. Montreat built a 5-1 lead in the first four innings, only to see it evaporate by the end of the seventh. Caleb Abshier had two hits and drove in a pair, and three Cav hurlers limited the Bulldogs to six hits as Milo Trevino picked up his second win of the day.

Milligan 7, Reinhardt 3: Milligan scored four in the third and three in the eighth, but the story of the game was Vince LaConte. The senior entered the game having pitched 13-2/3 innings across 10 appearances but threw 112 pitches across the final six innings to earn the win. Vasili Kaloudis had three hits and drove in four, including the three-run insurance home run in the seventh to make it a four-run lead.

Tournament Schedule
Tuesday, April 30
Game 1 - No. 10 Union (19-27) def. No. 7 Johnson (24-21), 8-6 (box) - Johnson eliminated
Game 2 - No. 9 Bluefield (21-22) def. No. 8 St. Andrews (27-21), 7-3 (box) - St. Andrews eliminated

Wednesday, May 1
Game 3 - No. 4 Milligan (31-18) def. No. 5 Bryan (25-21), 10-3 (box)
Game 4 - No. 6 Montreat (27-23-1) vs. No. 3 Pikeville (30-18), 9-7 (box)
Game 5 - No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (34-15) def. No. 10 Union (19-28), 3-1 (box)
Game 6 - No. 1 Reinhardt (36-14) def. No. 9 Bluefield (21-23), 8-6 (12 innings) (box)

Thursday, May 2
Game 7 - No. 10 Union (20-28) def. No. 3 Pikeville (30-19), 15-3 (7 innings) (box) - Pikeville eliminated
Game 8 - No. 5 Bryan (26-21) def. No. 9 Bluefield (21-24), 10-6 (box) - Bluefield eliminated
Game 9 - No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (35-15) def. No. 6 Montreat (27-24-1), 13-0 (7 innings) (box)
Game 10 - No. 1 Reinhardt (37-14) def. No. 4 Milligan (31-19), 5-2 (box)

Friday, May 3
Game 11 - No. 6 Montreat (28-24-1) def. No. 10 Union (20-29), 9-8 (box) - Union eliminated
Game 12 - No. 4 Milligan (32-19) def. No. 5 Bryan (26-22), 6-3 (box) - Bryan eliminated
Game 13 - No. 6 Montreat (29-24-1) def. No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (35-16), 6-5 (box)
Game 14 - No. 4 Milligan (33-19) def. No. 1 Reinhardt (37-15), 7-3 (box)

Saturday, May 4
Game 15 - No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (35-16) vs. No. 6 Montreat (29-24-1), 10 am
Game 16 - No. 1 Reinhardt (37-15) vs. No. 4 Milligan (33-19), 1 pm
Game 17 - Championship Game - Game 15 Winner vs. Game 16 Winner, 4 pm