GAME 18: Just a bit more bite for Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs
Tennessee Wesleyan beats Reinhardt for second straight night, earns spot in tonight’s title game
A walk-off hit with a head-first slide across home plate, extra innings under the lights at Harris Field, two familiar teams battling for the sixth time, an ace-pitcher showdown and a spot in a national championship game on the line.
The things that late-night Avista NAIA World Series baseball is made of.
Tennessee Wesleyan’s Kruise Newman sent a rocket into left field that got a favorable bounce and Evan Magill didn’t slow down rounding third base before sliding head-first across home plate to beat the tag.
With that walk-off hit, the Bulldogs defeated Reinhardt 3-2 in 11 innings Thursday to advance to tonight’s championship game against Hope International.
“Our kids man, come on, we’ve just been fighting ever since we got here,” Tennessee Wesleyan coach Billy Berry said. “We’re just going to continue to keep fighting and we’re just going to continue to keep playing. They gave me a lineup card, they gave me some meal money and we’ll go to work.”
The Bulldogs immediately rushed the diamond and mobbed Newman in the infield, slowly migrating their celebration to the outfield as Eagles players sank to the dirt or tried to comfort each other with hugs and pats on the back.
Tennessee Wesleyan (44-17) hasn’t yet won the 2024 national title, but it sure won a dramatic game to give itself a chance.
“It’s just the grit, the love we have for each other man,” said an emotional Magill, dirt stained down the front of his jersey. “We fight for each other. Even before the game, coach Berry said, ‘Do it for you. Do it for us,’ because we’ve already honored the legacy for all the guys before us … and now we’re fighting for a national championship.”
Nearly 2,200 fans at Harris Field watched an “NAIA Ball After Dark” matchup that turned into an instant classic.
Sixth-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan had already faced the top three seeds in the tournament (win against No. 3 Cumberlands, loss to No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett and win against No. 1 Southeastern). The Bulldogs had also handed fifth-seeded Reinhardt (44-18) its first loss of the World Series the day prior.
But because both Tennessee Wesleyan and Reinhardt had already received a bye in the tournament, they’d have to square off again to get a chance to play Hope International, the only other remaining team, in tonight’s championship.
An instant classic
With two Appalachian Athletic Conference foes facing each other for the sixth time this season, it was no surprise neither team could find much of an edge.
Reinhardt’s Lance Dockery continued his stellar tournament with a no-doubt solo home run for the game’s first hit in the top of the third for a 1-0 lead. But that blast would be one of only three hits in 11 innings for the Eagles.
The pitcher’s duel between Reinhardt starter Andrew Herbert and Tennessee Wesleyan mound man Blake Peyton remained close throughout.
The Eagles still held a one-run lead — now 2-1 — going into the bottom of the ninth.
That’s when Magill — who scored all three of Tennessee Wesleyan’s runs — kept the hope alive with a lead-off double to right-center field.
Two outs later, teammate Daniel Stewart hit a liner to center field and Magill scored to tie the game at 2-2 to send the game to extra innings.
Magill finished the day 2-for-4 with three runs.
Tennessee Wesleyan was clicking defensively, too. The Bulldogs ended the top of the 10th with a double play that featured a back-hand toss from second baseman Cayle Webster to shortstop Marco Martinez, who fired to Magill at first.
And in the top of the 11th, Bulldogs reliever Jake Sergent navigated a three-up-three down inning.
That set up the bottom of the 11th with the game still tied 2-2 — and who would be up first again up but Magill.
Magill drew a walk and Braxton Turner’s sacrifice bunt moved him into scoring position on second.
Then Newman came up for the walk-off hit and the rest is history.
“I didn’t want to use an offensive timeout but I was able to just get Kruise (Newman’s) attention and I just told him, ‘Hit a single man and we go home.’ And he smiled, and when he smiled I figured at least he’s relaxed enough. Kruise has been in big situations, man. … In that situation it comes down to guts and I figured Gilly (Magill) was going to get there one way or another.”
Herbert goes all 11, gives Reinhardt his all
Herbert went all 11 innings on the mound for Reinhardt, striking out 10 batters and giving his Eagles all his arm could muster for 132 pitches.
Herbert had a falling, bare-hand throw for the final out in the seventh and he was a part of all three outs in the 10th.
And he was still pitching in the 11th when Newman got the one hit that mattered most. Once Magill slid across home plate, Herbert dropped to haunches and put his face in his glove.
“That’s one of the best pitchers in the country on the mound; that’s an All-American,” Berry said of the opposing pitcher.
Up next
Tennessee Wesleyan and Hope International will face off at 6:35 p.m. today at Harris Field for the championship.
“I think it’s just ‘Play our game,’” Magill said of the mindset going into today. “We already believe we’re the best team out here, and we’ve showed it just like this game, and we just gotta show it one more day and it will be ours.”
Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2277, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.
AT A GLANCE
Reinhardt 2
Tennessee Wesleyan 3
STARS OF THE GAME
Tennessee Wesleyan first baseman Evan Magill had a pair of doubles and scored all three runs for the Bulldogs. Relief pitcher Jake Sergent (5-2) pitched in his third straight game and earned the win on the mound.
For Reinhardt, starting pitcher Andrew Herbert tossed a complete game, going all 11 innings and fanning 10 batters.
QUOTE OF NOTE
“It’s one game, man, it’s one for a national title. We’ve been here before. We were here in 2012, we had to play one game, and we were here in 2019 and we had to play one game. The program’s no stranger to it.” — Tennessee Wesleyan coach Billy Berry.
