MILLIGAN, Tenn. — On Friday, Milligan University's baseball squad concluded their regular season with a demolition of the Truett McConnell University Bears to earn their 30th win overall this season by a final of 11-1 in eight frames.
After three-up-three-down innings by both offenses in the first, Milligan would score first in the bottom of the second, as Tank Hansen drove home Angel Lobo on a single up the middle to make it 1-0. Then, Gaven Jones nailed a three-run round-tripper down the left-field line, making it 4-0.
For TMU, their only run of the contest would come in the top of the fourth when they hit a sacrifice fly to center, putting the score at 4-1 in Milligan's favor. Braxton Baird would respond by driving in a run on an RBI double Dow the line in left to drive home Jones and make it a 5-1 ballgame.
Incrementally, the Buffs continued to add on, scoring twice in the sixth on a two-run single up the middle by Cade Kalehuawehe to score both Baird and Trey Massengill. That made it 7-1, before Landon Lutterman chased home Skyler Saunders on a double and Hansen singled home Lutterman to push the advantage to 9-1 after six.
The bottom of the eighth saw the Buffaloes run-rule the Bears on an RBI double by Lobo to score Bryce Burkey and another run-scoring two-bagger by Hansen to score Josh Lail, ending the game in 11-1 fashion after eight innings.
A total of 17 hits were compiled by the Milligan lineup in the win. Hansen was a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish with three runs driven in and also a walk, reaching base on all five of his trips. Baird and Lobo each went 3-for-5 with an RBI double, meanwhile, Lobo added a second two-base hit. Jones also had two hits in four tries with three RBIs.
Only two arms were needed to get through the battle, as Spencer Rife tossed the opening seven frames and gave up only one run on three hits with six strikeouts. Wesley Babcock tossed a perfect final inning, as well, setting down one batter on strikes.
Milligan ends their regular season with a 30-20 overall record, as well as a 19-11 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) mark, which is a one game better record than last season's 18-12 showing. The Buffs will now serve as the No. 4 seed in the AAC Tournament, which begins on Tuesday, Apr. 29 at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn.
