Bryan, Wesleyan win AAC openers

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan and second seed Bryan College won their opening games in the Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball tournament Tuesday night, TWC's nationally seventh-ranked Bulldogs routing Virginia Intermont 16-3 after Bryan edged Bluefield 6-5.

Wesleyan (42-11) plays tonight at 7:30 against a Milligan team that beat Reinhardt 11-1 on Tuesday. Union College beat Montreat 10-0.

DeWayne Boyd and Billy Veal batted in two runs apiece for Bryan (40-16), which plays Union at 5 p.m. Boyd, Shane Clawson and Doug Stroup each was 2-for-4, Clawson with a triple and Stroup scoring twice as the Lions took a 6-0 lead into the sixth inning behind pitcher Tanner Brown. Closer Adam Sanders got his NAIA-record-tying 18th save of the season.

Zac Russell-Myers was 4-for-4 and scored three runs for Bluefield (28-25).

TCCAA brackets set

Cleveland State will face Motlow in the first game of the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII baseball tournament starting Sunday at Chattanooga State.

They will square off at noon, followed by Roane State against Southwest Tennessee at 3 p.m. Nationally ranked Walters State and Columbia State will await the Sunday winners next Monday, when Chattanooga State will face Dyersburg State at 1 p.m.

The state/region softball tournament also starts Sunday at Chattanooga State, with Roane State facing Jackson State at 2 and Motlow meeting Dyersburg at 4. Clevleand State will face Columbia State at 10 a.m. Monday, followed at noon by nationally No. 2-ranked Chatt State against the Roane/Jackson winner.

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