Saints Go 1-1 in Final Day of Clash of the Conferences

(JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.) – The Thomas More University baseball team went 1-1 today (Sunday, February 9, 2019), beating Aquinas College 14-1 and falling in the seventh inning to Milligan College 6-5 on the final day of the Clash of the Conferences at the TVA Credit Union Ballpark in Johnson City, Tennessee.

AQUINAS GAME

• The Saints scored three runs in the bottom of the first as junior Chase Keller (Alexandria, Ky./Bishop Brossart) drove in Mike Newsom (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and Brett Benzinger (Taylor Mill, Ky./New Richmond) on a single and senior Matt Wellbrock (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) later scored on an error.
• Thomas More extended the lead to 6-0 with three more runs in the second inning. Newsom drove in Aiden Reverman (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) with a double, Bailey Martin (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) scored on a Benzinger sacrifice fly, and Newsom came home on a Tyler Flick (Okeana, Ohio/Ross) single.
• Martin had an RBI double in the fourth inning, bringing in Brady Reynolds (White Oak, Ohio/LaSalle).
• The Saints added four more runs in the fifth with a two-run single by Reynolds scoring Casey Nowak (Burlington, Ky./Covington Catholic) and Dylan Doverspike (Pittsburgh, Pa./Beechwood), a triple by Martin to bring in Reynolds, and a Benzinger single that drove in Martin. 
• After Aquinas got on the scoreboard with a run in the sixth, Thomas More responded with three runs of their own as Keller scored on an error, Newsom singled home Alec Garnett (Hebron, Ky./Conner), and Reynolds scored when Jacob Caruso (Rootstown, Ohio/Rootstown) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

• Martin was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple with two walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
• Newsom was 2-for-3 with a double and two walks, driving in two runs and scoring two runs.
• Reynolds was 1-for-1 with two walks and a stolen base, driving in two runs and scoring three.
• Benzinger was 1-for-2 with a walk, two RBIs, and a run.
• Wellbrock was 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run.
• Keller was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run.

• Senior Griffin Smallwood (Lakeside Park, Ky./Dixie Heights) earned the win with five shutout innings, striking out six while allowing just two hits and two walks.
• Sophomore Nick Muench (Florence, Ky./Boone County) allowed a run on three hits in his one inning of work.
• Sophomore Justin Bierbaum (Bridgetown, Ohio/LaSalle) gave up a hit and a walk but no runs in one inning.

MILLIGAN GAME

• The Saints scored in the top of the first on an RBI double by Benzinger, which drove in Newsom.
• Milligan jumped in front with a three-run second inning.
• Thomas More got one back when pinch-runner Noah Weingartner (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) stole second and scored on a two-out Flick single.
• The Saints took the lead, 5-3, with three runs in the fourth. Martin scored on a Bryce Ziegler (Silver Grove, Ky./Highlands) base hit, Newsom stole home on a double steal, and Weingartner crossed the plate on another Flick single.
• Milligan made it a 5-4 game with a run in the bottom of the fifth.
• The Buffs scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to win.

• Benzinger was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
• Flick was 2-for-4 with a steal and two RBIs.
• Newsom was 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs.
• Weingartner stole two bases and scored twice.
• Martin walked, stole a base, and scored a run.

• Senior Justin Ward (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) took the loss after allowing two hits, two walks, and two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout.
• Martin started and allowed three runs, one earned, in 1.2 innings while allowing three hits and two walks.
• Sophomore Luke Dougherty (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) scattered four hits across 2.2 innings, striking out one while allowing an earned run.
• Junior Drew Schramm (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings and gave up one hit with one strikeout.

• The Saints fell to 1-2 overall.
• The win in the opener was the first career win for Jeremy Martin as head coach.

• Thomas More will travel to Union College on Tuesday (February 11) at 2 p.m.