MILLIGAN, Tenn. — Milligan University's baseball team began their final series of the 2025 regular season on Thursday afternoon with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader against the Truett McConnell University Bears, as the Buffs emerged with 6-3 and 6-1 wins in the two bouts, respectively.
Milligan got on the board first in the bottom of the second, as Braxton Baird whacked an RBI single off the first base bag, which Tank Hansen came in to score on. That made it 1-0 after two full.
In the fifth, Brody Melton hammered a run-scoring double into left-center field, driving home Skyler Saunders.
A trio of tallies would be added by MU in the sixth, with Gaven Jones opening the scoring with an RBI triple to right-center field, scoring Nick Iezzi. Then, Trey Massengill tacked on a run with an RBI groundout, scoring Jones. Lastly Cade Kalehuawehe singled home Baird to make it 5-0 after the sixth.
Truett McConnell finally cracked the scoreboard with two runs on a two-run single in the eighth.
Milligan got one of those two back in the bottom half, on a steal of home by Baird, induced by a rundown between first and second. It was a 6-2 advantage for the Buffs entering the ninth.
The TMU lineup scored a run on an RBI single up the middle without recording an out. Luckily, the Buffaloes were able to wiggle out of danger with a 6-3 win.
Game two started well for the Buffs, as they got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the first. They then picked up two runs on a Melton RBI single and a wild pitch to allow Kalehuawehe to score, making it 2-0.
Milligan would receive an RBI groundout by Massengill in the bottom of the second, scoring Jones to make it 3-0.
A solo homer by the Bears in the top of the fourth made it a 3-1 game, but that fleeting momentum would dissipate quickly.
Angel Lobo, Jones and Wyatt Heidle would rip back-to-back-to-back solo homers to double the team's run output. They led 6-1 after four full.
Baird's presence at the top of the order is unmatched, as he went 5-for-8 across two games with a 4-for-5 performance in the first contest. Kalehuawehe, Melton and Jones all went 3-for-7 as the remaining players with multiple hits on the day.
Canyon Geren started the opener and tossed five scoreless frames with three strikeouts, before Joe Ducharme relieved him with two shutout frames with a single punchout. Creed Werker allowed three runs on five hits in one-plus innings of work. Then, Jacob Poe came in for his second save of the season, tossing a clean frame.
Jacob Bishop allowed only one run across four innings of the seven-frame battle, notching six strikeouts in the process. Patrick Collins then came in to throw two hitless innings with a pair of punchies and Austin Maxey delivered a scoreless seventh to end the game.
It was a great start to the final series of the regular season, as the Buffs look to clinch the No. 4 seed in the AAC Tournament on Friday at 10 a.m. with a series sweep of the Bears.
