2022 NAIA Avista-NAIA World Series – Game 13 Recap

No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan wins third straight elimination game, first of four teams to advance to tomorrow

FINAL SCORE

No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (56-7) def. No. 10 Webber International (43-22), 9-1 | Box Score

Tennessee Wesleyan advances to play Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. or 8:30 pm CST in Game 16 or 17 (elimination) against an opponent to be determined by the tournament committee

Webber International has been eliminated from World Series play

GAME NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS

• The first elimination contest of the day saw a pair of teams that we matched up by the tournament committee because they had not yet played each other in the World Series
• On paper, the Bulldogs had a games played advantage since the No. 2 seed had a bye which 10th seeded Webber International did not; this resulted in the Warriors playing four games compared to three for TWU
• Both teams began the game with the first three batters on each side getting out with a combined three strike outs swinging
• Parker Stinnett ripped a double to left center field before a fielding error by TWU gave the Eagles runners on first and second with no outs away in the frame
• A sacrifice bunt moved the runners over which allowed the first run of the day was plated by Chad Picton’s single through the gap
• Tennessee Wesleyan snagged a 2-0 lead by the end of the inning as a groundout by Dan Sayre scored Kyle Lavender 
• In the next trip to the box, Carson Ford nuked his first homer of the World Series and 14th of the year, giving TWU a 3-0 lead on three total hits
• Two batters later, Livan Reinoso, took the fourth pitch he face and launched it off the bat to left field; both teams and the crowd knew its destiny was over the outfield fence by the sound alone
• Webber International had a chance in the bottom of the fourth to close the gap as the bases were juiced with two outs away
• Michael Taylor preserved the Bulldogs 4-0 advantage as he ended the inning with a fly out to center
• Once again in the next inning, WIU had two runners within scoring position but were unable to push either of them across the plate to cut into the deficit
• For the second time in the game, the Warriors were able to get a clean sweep in the top of the sixth, this time by relief pitcher Dawson Young
• Ian Kalman began the bottom of the frame drawing a walk and was brought home by Josh Blackmore dropping a single in front of Jermane Ward in center field
• Having previously used extra pitchers in the previous extra game played, the Warriors were deep into the bullpen by the eighth inning
• Tennessee Wesleyan went through the full order in the inning starting with a pinch hitters in Cayle Webster’s slot in the lineup and ending with him striking out
• In between, the Bulldogs doubled up their lead scoring four runs on four hits, four walks, three wild pithers and one defensive error by WIU
• After using three pitchers in the eighth inning, the fifth Warrior took the mound in the game allowing one final Bulldog run
• In the box, TWU was passed by Braxton Turner, Reinoso, and Stinnett who recorded nine of the teams 11 hits
• Webber International was paced offensively by Blackmore who was 2-4 with the other six hits all coming from different Warriors
• Tennessee Wesleyan elected a bullpen by committee contest with Michael Taylor throwing four scoreless innings, Kyle Bloor and Trent Thrash taking two each, and third baseman Reinoso closing out the ninth inning
• The loss ends the best campaign in WIU program history, besting the 39-17 record in 2017 when they were eliminated in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round by Georgia Gwinnett