TWU, Bryan Set to Meet for Baseball Championship

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - The stage is set for the 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Baseball Tournament championship game as Tennessee Wesleyan and Bryan will battle for the title for the second year in a row.

Tennessee Wesleyan advanced to the championship game with a 5-4 win over No. 5 seed Milligan, while Bryan collected two one-run victories over No. 2 seed Reinhardt to punch its ticket.

The title game is set for Monday at 1 p.m.

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

No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan 5, No. 5 Milligan 4 (10 innings)

Pushed to the absolute brink in an extra-inning affair, the top-seeded Bulldogs survived a valiant push from the Buffs when Jermayne Ward lifted a bases-loaded single to left field to send Wesleyan to the championship game. It was Ward's third hit of the day. Wesleyan, which trailed 4-0 at one point, tied the game in the seventh on an RBI double by Dan Sayre, who arguably made an even bigger play defensively in the sixth.

With a runner on second and Milligan up 4-3, Anthony Guzman blasted a ball to short, and while he reached on an infield single, Sayre made a diving stop to keep the ball in the infield and the runner at third. Kyle Bloor then ended the inning with a strikeout as he and Liam Doolan allowed just two hits over six-and-two-third shutout innings.

No. 6 Bryan 7, No. 2 Reinhardt 6

Bradley Prince tied the game with RBI single and an Eagle error brought the winning run home in the eighth inning, as Bryan staved off elimination by overcoming a 5-1 deficit. The Lions put the pressure on in the sixth inning after Daniel Dryden crushed a three-run homer to pull them within 5-4.

After the Eagles got a run back in the top of the eighth, Bryan loaded the bases before Prince brought home the tying run. After a Reinhardt relay throw sailed over the head of the third baseman, Devin Ogg came home to give the Lions the lead, and closer Anthony Tejada worked a 1-2-3 ninth to force a do-or-die rematch between the two teams.

No. 6 Bryan 4, No. 2 Reinhardt (10 innings)

Things got even wilder in the day's finale. But in a game that saw three batters thrown out at home, Darwin Gregg broke through the at times impenetrable fortress that was home plate. On the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the tenth inning, Gregg skied a solo home run just over the left-field wall, ending a tight game and sending the Lions into Monday's title game with a 4-3 win.

Gregg was one of four Bryan players to record two hits while the bullpen was dominant again. Cameron Harvey didn't allow an earned run in four-and-two thirds inning while Tejada earned the win by allowing just one hit and no runs in three-and-a-third.

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

Here is the updated tournament schedule:

Tournament Schedule
Tuesday, May 3
Game 1 - No. 7 Bluefield (29-16) def. No. 10 Columbia International (21-32), 14-3 (7 innings) (BOX) - Columbia International eliminated
Game 2 - No. 9 Montreat (32-24) def. No. 8 Truett McConnell (25-22), 5-1 (BOX) - Truett McConnell eliminated

Wednesday, May 4
Game 3 - No. 5 Milligan (35-19) def. No. 4 St. Andrews (37-16), 11-2 (BOX)
Game 4 - No. 6 Bryan (24-24) def. No. 3 Point (25-21), 12- 7 (BOX)
Game 5 - No. 2 Reinhardt (34-19) def. No. 7 Bluefield (29-17), 7-6 (BOX)
Game 6 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (48-5) def. No. 9 Montreat (32-25), 20-10 (BOX)

Thursday, May 5
Game 7 - No. 7 Bluefield (30-17) def. No. 3 Point (25-22), 12-7 (BOX) - Point eliminated
Game 8 - No. 9 Montreat (33-25) def. No. 4 St. Andrews (37-16), 16-12 (BOX) - St. Andrews eliminated
Game 9 - No. 2 Reinhardt (35-19) def. No. 6 Bryan (24-25), 9-4 (BOX)
Game 10 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (49-5) def. No. 5 Milligan (35-20), 16-1 (BOX)

Saturday, May 7
Game 11 - No. 5 Milligan (36-20) def. No. 9 Montreat (33-26), 14-2 (BOX) - Montreat eliminated
Game 12 - No. 6 Bryan (25-25) def. No. 7 Bluefield (30-18), 4-3 (BOX) - Bluefield eliminated

Sunday, May 8
Game 13 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (50-5) def. No. 5 Milligan (36-21), 5-4 (10 innings) (BOX) - Milligan eliminated
Game 14 - No. 6 Bryan (26-25) def. No. 2 Reinhardt (35-19) 7-6 (BOX)
Game 15 - No. 6 Bryan (27-25) def. No. 2 Reinhardt (35-21), 4-3 (10 innings) (BOX) - Reinhardt eliminated

Monday, May 9
Game 16 - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (50-5) vs. No. 6 Bryan (27-25), 1 pm