Field Down to Four in the Baseball Tournament

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - The 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Baseball Tournament is down to four teams with No. 5 seed Milligan and No. 6 seed Bryan winning on Saturday.

The tournament is being played at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn.

No. 5 Milligan 14, No. 9 Montreat 2

The Buffaloes put this one away early, bringing home five runs in the first inning and staying in control the rest of the way. Braden Spano kick-started his excellent day with an RBI single in the first before going on to drive in two more while scoring twice and recording three hits. Teammate Andrew Mathias also had three hits and three RBIs in the win.

Needing to preserve as many arms as possible for a Sunday tilt with top-seed Tennessee Wesleyan, Milligan got exactly what it needed from starter Brock Browning, who allowed just five hits and two runs while tossing a complete game, keeping the Buffaloes from having to go to the bullpen. Browning struck out three with just one walk.

No. 6 Bryan 4, No. 7 Bluefield 3

The Lions overcame an early 2-0 deficit and a 25-minute rain delay, pulling ahead on a Bass Cooper sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. It was Cooper's second go-ahead, RBI sac fly on the day, as he also gave Bryan a 3-2 lead in the fifth.

Bryan reliever Anthony Tejada took over from there, striking out seven batters in just three-and-a-third innings and stranding the tying run on base in both the eighth and ninth. Stranded runners were a recurring theme for the Rams, who held a 12-8 hit advantage but left 11 runners on base, leaving multiple men on in the first, second and sixth while getting just one combined run in those three innings.

Play resumes on Sunday at 9 a.m. with Milligan taking on top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan. Bryan will face No. 2 seed Reinhardt at 12 p.m.

The schedule will be finalized following the results of Games 13 and 14. If both Tennessee Wesleyan and Reinhardt win, the championship game will be played at approximately 4 pm. If there are any 'if necessary' games to be played, they will take play Sunday evening with the championship game to be played on Monday, May 9.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. Single-day tickets are $10 per adult and $5 for students. Tournament passes are also available for $38 per adult and $18 per student.

If unable to attend in person, all games will be streamed live online. To watch, click here.

Here is the updated tournament schedule:

Tournament Schedule
Tuesday, May 3
Game 1 - No. 7 Bluefield (29-16) def. No. 10 Columbia International (21-32), 14-3 (7 innings) (BOX) - Columbia International eliminated
Game 2 - No. 9 Montreat (32-24) def. No. 8 Truett McConnell (25-22), 5-1 (BOX) - Truett McConnell eliminated

Wednesday, May 4
Game 3 - No. 5 Milligan (35-19) def. No. 4 St. Andrews (37-16), 11-2 (BOX)
Game 4 - No. 6 Bryan (24-24) def. No. 3 Point (25-21), 12- 7 (BOX)
Game 5 - No. 2 Reinhardt (34-19) def. No. 7 Bluefield (29-17), 7-6 (BOX)
Game 6 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (48-5) def. No. 9 Montreat (32-25), 20-10 (BOX)

Thursday, May 5
Game 7 - No. 7 Bluefield (30-17) def. No. 3 Point (25-22), 12-7 (BOX) - Point eliminated
Game 8 - No. 9 Montreat (33-25) def. No. 4 St. Andrews (37-16), 16-12 (BOX) - St. Andrews eliminated
Game 9 - No. 2 Reinhardt (35-19) def. No. 6 Bryan (24-25), 9-4 (BOX)
Game 10 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (49-5) vs. No. 5 Milligan (35-20), 7 pm (BOX)

Saturday, May 7
Game 11 - No. 5 Milligan (36-20) def. No. 9 Montreat (33-26), 14-2 (BOX) - Montreat eliminated
Game 12 - No. 6 Bryan (25-25) def. No. 7 Bluefield (30-18), 4-3 (BOX) - Bluefield eliminated

Sunday, May 8
Game 13 - No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan (49-5) vs. No. 5 Milligan (36-20), 9 am
Game 14 - No. 2 Reinhardt (35-19) vs. No. 6 Bryan (25-25), 12 pm
The schedule will be finalized following the results of Games 13 and 14. If only one game, it will be played at 4 pm. If there are any 'if necessary' games to be played, they will take play Sunday evening with the championship game to be played on Monday, May 9.