No. 6 Seed Softball Upsets No. 3 Seed Truett McConnell in AAC Tournament

KINGSPORT, Tenn.- The softball team won their opening game in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament on Monday.  The 7-6 win against the No. 3 seed Truett McConnell University Lady Bears involved some late-game heroics for the No. 6 seed Tennessee Wesleyan.

Two error helped the Lady Bulldogs take the lead in the first inning. The first error occurred allowed Macy Chastain to reach base. Courtney Sneed hit a bunt single to get Chastain to second. A flyout by Bailee Phillips to right field gave Chastain the space to get to third base. A fielding error on Sneed stolen base completed the time on base for Chastain as she ran across home plate, giving the team a 1-0 advantage. TWU carried the lead until Truett McConnell scored three runs in the bottom of the third. 

As quick as they saw the lead disappear, the Lady Bulldogs got the lead back quicker. Tatum Massengale, Kaley Bradley and Brooke Freeman all hit singles back-to-back-to-back. On Freeman's single, Massengale scored from second while a fielding error gave Bradley the space to score, tying the game 3-3. Standing on second after the error, Freeman moved to third on a Carlynn Atamaniuk sacrifice bunt. Chastain followed with a walk, quickly getting in scoring position with a stolen base. Sneed broke the tie, hitting a double down the right field line to bring in both Freeman and Chastain and give the team a 5-3 advantage.

The score became tied again in the fourth inning as the opponents scored two runs. The remaining three innings saw the team's exchange runs.

Mackenzie Baldwin forced the first exchange, getting on base with a single and moving to second on a Penning sac bunt. Massengale gave the team a 6-5 lead with an RBI single bringing in Baldwin from second. Truett McConnell scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game 6-6.

The late-game heroics started with Phillips, who hit a single to put a runner on base. A sac bunt by Baldwin moved pinch-runner Katie Willett to second and the runner would score the go-ahead run on a Penning single. The defense did not give up a run in the bottom of the seventh, giving the Lady Bulldogs the 7-6 win.

Sneed led the offense with two RBIs while Penning, Massengale, and Freeman each had a RBI. Phillips had six strikeouts in the complete game in the circle.

Tennessee Wesleyan (24-10) will be back in action at the tournament on Wednesday. The team will play the winner of No. 2 seed Bryan College and No. 7 seed Brenau University. The game on Wednesday is set for 5:00 p.m.