CLEVELAND, Ga. – On Saturday, Milligan University's baseball team had the opportunity to earn their first Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series sweep of the 2026 campaign. They succeeded in the endeavor, dominating the Truett McConnell University Bears to the tune of 11-1 and 5-0 wins in the Peach State.

Milligan scored first in game one, as Gaven Jones came all the way around to score after singling to left-center field. He stole both second and third base and scored on an errant throw into the outfield by the catcher on his steal of third. It was 1-0 Buffs entering the bottom of the first.

A Luis Quintero single led off the top of the second, and he later advanced to second on a groundout. Nick Moss delivered a RBI single into left field to make it 2-0 after one-and-a-half frames.

Milligan kept putting up single runs each inning, with Cade Kalehuawehe getting in on the action with a solo blast to left field to make it 3-0 in the third inning.

Yet another single run was tallied in the top of the fourth, as Quintero led off with another single. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and headed to third on a poor throw by the catcher trying to throw him out at second. Nick Iezzi would bring him home on a RBI groundout to make it 4-0.

Incredibly, the streak would continue in the top of the fifth, as Milligan scored one more run to make it 5-0. Jones walked to begin the frame, and Kalehuawehe reached base on a fielder's choice that Jones moved to second on. A walk to Brody Melton loaded the bases before the Buffs grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, scoring Jones from third.

Finally, more than one run would be scored in the top of the sixth by Milligan, as Moss doubled to left to start the frame. That was followed by a two-run round-tripper by Braxton Baird, his first of the season, to make it 7-0. Then, back-to-back singles by Jones and Kalehuawehe put runners at the corners with two outs. After Kalehuawehe stole second, Melton ripped a single into center field, scoring both Jones and Kalehuawehe to put MU ahead 9-0.

Truett McConnell finally picked up a run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a run-scoring groundout, slimming the deficit to eight runs at 9-1.

To begin the top of the seventh, Quintero reached base on a fielding error by the TMU third baseman and was driven in immediately on a RBI double by the next hitter, Iezzi. Baird would push Iezzi across the dish on a single into right to give Milligan a 10-run lead, 11-1.

A three-up-three-down bottom of the seventh frame gave the Buffaloes a run-rule shortened victory over the Bears, 11-1.

Neither side was able to get on the scoreboard until the top of the fourth inning of game two, when the Buffaloes had Melton lead off with a single and advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Devin Gutierrez. Then, Melton stole third and scored on a throw into left field by the catcher, making it 1-0.

More offense would come for the Buffs in the fifth, when Jones tripled to right-center field, bringing home Baird to make it 2-0. The very next batter, Kalehuawehe, hammered a big fly to center field. The two run homer doubled the lead to 4-0.

Milligan would add one more in the top of the seventh on a RBI single by Melton, scoring Moss. They would retire the Bears in order in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the series sweep with a 5-0 triumph.

Jones (5-for-8, 3B, RBI, 4 R, BB, 2 SB) led the team in hits, taking responsibility for a quarter of the team's knocks on the day. Melton (4-for-6, 3 RBI, R, BB, 2 SB) was the lone player with four hits on the afternoon. Kalehuawehe (3-for-6, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, SB) and Baird (3-for-7, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB) both tallied three hits on the day, while Moss (2-for-6, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB) and Quintero (2-for-4, 3 R) had two apiece. Iezzi had the only remaining hit for the Buffaloes on the day.

Canyon Geren's stellar start to the season continues, as the rotation's anchor pitched to a tune of six full innings, while allowing only one earned run on three hits. He struck out nine hitters during his time on the hill. Brycen Denton closed out the game with three straight outs in his one inning of work.

Devin Gutierrez (3 IP, H, 2 K, 3 BB) and Jack McLaury (4 IP, 2 H, 4 K) teamed up to complete the second tilt of the day on the slab. They combined for the shutout, which is the third of the season for the Buffaloes' pitching staff.

The Buffaloes (15-2, 7-2 AAC) now have a pair of midweek games against Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) on Tuesday, March 3, as the two conference opponents will not be playing conference games against each other this season due to balancing of the AAC schedule. First pitch of the doubleheader featuring seven-inning contests is set for 2 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.