Milligan College SPORTS NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Brinn, (423) 461-8980
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Third-ranked Wesleyan sweeps Milligan

By Rick Sheek
Press Sports Writer

MILLIGAN COLLEGE - For one extra-inning affair, Milligan College stood toe-to-toe with the nation's third-ranked NAIA baseball team. The doubleheader's finale was a different matter.

After battling Tennessee Wesleyan for 10 innings before coming up short 5-3, the Buffs were routed 12-1 on Saturday in Appalachian Athletic Conference action.

"I like the way we played the first game," Milligan coach Danny Clark said. "We've got our backs against the wall. We've got to win five straight. We've got to beat Wise two and Union three to finish second, so that's where we're at. We don't have room for error any more."

The Buffs dropped to 24-17, 12-7 in the AAC. Wesleyan improved to 38-3, 18-1.

Milligan left fielder Ben Whittemore forced extra innings in the opener with a diving catch at the wall to retire the Bulldogs. Wesleyan struck for two runs in the eighth on Jason Howard's run-scoring single and Josh Lindstrom's sacrifice fly.

The Buffs answered with Dustin Price advancing runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch plating a score and Ryan Dunn tagging a sacrifice fly.

Wesleyan's Bronson Gross belted a three-run homer in the 10th off of Chris Shockley. All Milligan could manage in the bottom of the inning was a run-scoring double from Price, who was stranded.

"The first game I was hoping we'd come through with a clutch hit somewhere, and it never happened," Clark said. "You can't let a ball club like this just keep lingering on and lingering on from inning to inning. They're going to find a way to win, so we can't be in that."

Price, Dunn and Jesse Dannemiller each batted 2 for 4 and Nathan Chandler went 2 for 3 in the first game.

Dunn slugged two doubles.

Wesleyan's Chris Burnsed was 4 for 5 in the opener.

The finale started bad and got worse for the Buffs. The first Wesleyan run crossed on a Jason Torres passed ball, which was after a strikeout and should have been the third out.

Then in the second inning, a Jacob McAllister wild pitch brought in another run before Jim Henderson blasted a two-run homer to make it 5-0.

"The second game I thought early with the strikeout and we didn't get the guy at first in the first inning, it kind of snowballed from there," Clark said. "Disappointed, but I know how this team is. It just seems like we don't respond back well when our backs are against the wall, and that's one thing that worries me."

Burnsed ripped a solo homer in the third, driving McAllister from the mound. A Rob Maynard wild pitch made it 8-0 in the sixth.

Wesleyan's Henderson was working on a no-hitter in the sixth when Torres lined a shot down the right field line to break it up. David Rusaw doubled him in.

The Bulldogs pounded out 12 hits in the seven-inning second game. Henderson hurled a three-hitter with no walks and five strikeouts.

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About Milligan College

Milligan College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Northeast Tennessee, nationally recognized for its commitment to excellence in academic, social and spiritual development. The college has consistently been named one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit www.milligan.edu or call 423.461.8719.

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