Baseball Wins Defensive Battle in Opening Round

KINGSPORT, Tenn.- For the 15th consecutive season, the baseball team took part in an NAIA Baseball Championship Tournament Opening Round. In this edition of the Opening Round, the Bulldogs were the No. 2 seed in the Kingsport Bracket and opened play against the No. 3 seed, the Columbia College (Mo.) Cougars.

Pitching and defense dominated the game. In the pitching duel, Blake Peyton pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball in helping TWU clinch their opening round game. The runs that gave the Bulldogs the lead occurred in the fourth inning.

With two outs on the board, Cayle Webster got on base with a walk. Kruise Newman followed in the batting order and sent a ball flying over the wall at Hunter Wright Stadium, giving the team a 2-0 lead they went on to win by.

Peyton finished with 11 strikeouts on the mound in the win. Gage Vailes was credited with the save.

Tennessee Wesleyan (38-16) stays in the winner's portion of the bracket with the win. The team will face the remaining undefeated team, the No. 1 seed Webber International University on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.