DAYTON, Tenn. -Â Bryan Baseball team split a three-game home series with Tennessee Wesleyan this week at Senter Field, winning the middle game but dropping the opener and Friday's Senior Day finale to fall to 23-22 overall and 15-11 in conference play.
Game One: Bryan 9, Tennessee Wesleyan 13
Bryan's offense came out swinging in Thursday's opener but could not hold up against a relentless Tennessee Wesleyan attack in a 13-9 defeat.
The Lions got on the board early when
Denajh Williams homered in the third inning with
Will Curcio aboard to make it 6-2, capping a stretch where Bryan had scored six unanswered runs to take the lead. Williams was the story of the day for Bryan, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI.
Logan Stradley added three hits and two RBI, including a key double in the second inning as part of a four-run frame that first gave Bryan life.
Cade Cook went 3-for-5 and
Morgan Halliday added two hits to keep the lineup active throughout.
Jayron Morris also homered for Bryan, a solo shot in the fourth, and the Lions appeared to be in control at 7-3 heading into the later innings. But Tennessee Wesleyan starter Colton Brumley settled in after relieving early, and the Bulldogs chipped away before erupting for seven runs in the seventh inning, powered by five home runs on the day. Starting pitcher Justin Jackson struggled through three innings, allowing seven earned runs, and the bullpen could not hold the lead once Brumley took over for the visitors. Bradley Johnson closed out the ninth for Bryan but the damage was already done.
Game Two: Bryan 6, Tennessee Wesleyan 4
Bryan evened the series with a gritty 6-4 win in the second game of the doubleheader, getting contributions up and down the lineup and a strong pitching performance to secure the victory.
The Lions trailed 2-0 after Tennessee Wesleyan scored twice in the second inning, but Bryan answered immediately.
Caleb Ramsey led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run, and
Will Curcio followed with another solo shot to tie the game at two.
Evan Robinson then put Bryan ahead for good with a solo homer in the fourth, his RBI giving the Lions a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.
The decisive inning came in the fifth, when Bryan sent five men to the plate and pushed three runs across.
Denajh Williams singled and
Morgan Halliday followed with another knock, setting the table for a bases-loaded situation. A throwing error by Tennessee Wesleyan's shortstop allowed one run to score, and then
Cyrus Campos ripped a two-RBI single to push the lead to 6-2 and effectively put the game away. Campos finished with two RBI and was one of several Lions who came through in the clutch.
On the mound,
Ty Johnson was excellent through three innings, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the first without allowing a run.
Ryan Ely and
Phoenix Johnson bridged the gap before
Eli Walker came on to close it out, earning a save by retiring Tennessee Wesleyan in order through the final two frames. The Lions defense committed two errors but none proved fatal, and the pitching staff limited a dangerous Tennessee Wesleyan lineup enough to get the win.
Game Three: Tennessee Wesleyan 18, Bryan 9
Senior Day on Friday had plenty of excitement, but ultimately Tennessee Wesleyan proved too powerful as Bryan fell 18-9 in a back-and-forth game that slipped away in a disastrous fifth inning.
Bryan actually held the lead for much of the early going and gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about. The Lions trailed 5-2 after three innings but roared back in the fourth, when
Jayron Morris crushed a three-run homer with
Logan Stradley and
Cade Cook on base to tie the game at five, and
Denajh Williams followed immediately with a two-run shot of his own to put Bryan ahead 7-5. It was a stunning four-inning stretch from the Bryan offense, and the crowd at Senter Field had reason for optimism.
Morris finished 2-for-3 with three RBI on the day, while Williams went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Campos added a solo home run in the third, and
Will Curcio hit a solo shot in the seventh to keep Bryan within striking distance late.
Caleb Ramsey contributed a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and
Logan Stradley drew a pair of walks to get on base and create opportunities throughout the game.
But the fifth inning unraveled everything. Tennessee Wesleyan sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs, the big blow being a grand slam from Jonathan Bosque that made it 11-7. Bryan starter
Ben Zyburt had pitched into the fourth before exiting, and a parade of relievers could not stop the bleeding as the Bulldogs kept scoring. The Lions never recovered, and despite cutting into the deficit with late home runs from Curcio and a
Caleb Ramsey sacrifice fly in the eighth, the hole was simply too deep.
Bryan's pitching staff had a tough afternoon overall, issuing nine walks and allowing four home runs to Tennessee Wesleyan's powerful lineup.
JD McCurry was solid in relief, tossing three innings and allowing just two earned runs, but the damage had already been done by the time he took the mound.
Despite the loss, the Senior Day atmosphere at Senter Field gave Bryan's program a chance to celebrate the players who have helped build the program, and the Lions showed throughout the series that they can compete with one of the top teams in the conference. Bryan will look to build on the series split as the postseason approaches.
The Lions will head to Kingsport for the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament next week. Tournament information will be released in the coming days.
