Kingsport, Tenn. (April 30, 2013) --- The No. 4 Milligan College baseball team was unable to keep pace with No. 5 Reinhardt University as they fell 9-1 in the first round of the 2013 Appalachian Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn., on Tuesday. The Buffaloes will face the loser of Tuesday night's matchup between No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan and No. 8 Montreat College in an elimination game on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
 
   After a scoreless first inning, Milligan loaded the bases as Blake Buck (Maryville, Tenn.), Hunter Carpenter (Sneedville, Tenn.) and Chavez Golden (Knoxville, Tenn.) reached with base with hits. However, the Buffaloes were unable to drive a run across the plate, and Reinhardt scored three runs in the home side of the inning to take a 3-0 lead into the third.
 
   Corey McPherson (Johnson City, Tenn.) reached third base in the third inning for Milligan, but Reinhardt used a double play to end the side and then tacked on a run to extend their lead to 4-0. The Buffaloes broke onto the board in fourth inning as Carpenter scored off a Golden hit. After Milligan retired the Eagles batters in order in the bottom of the fourth, the Buffaloes saw Tyree Jeffries (Jackson, Tenn.) and Luke Kirk (Gate City, Va.) reach base to open the fifth inning, but they were unable to plate the runs.
 
   Milligan put runners in scoring position in the sixth as they loaded the bases. However, Milligan was unable to drive a run across, and Reinhardt added a run in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-1 lead into the seventh inning. The Eagles scored four runs in the eighth to take a 9-1 lead, and the Buffaloes were unable to rally back in the final inning.
 
   Kirk led the way at the plate as he was 3-for-5, while Carpenter finished the game 2-for-4. Jeffries and Buck were both 2-for-5. The Buffaloes stranded 12 runners in the game.
 
   Jake Watts (Boone, N.C.) was handed just his third loss of the season. In four innings of work, Watts allowed five earned runs on five hits.
 
   With the loss, the Buffaloes fall to 24-24 overall.
 
   Milligan will continue the tournament on Wednesday, May 1, as they face either No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan or No. 8 Montreat College in an elimination game. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m., at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn.