On to nationals! Bulldogs punch ticket with AAC win over Wesleyan

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - After going 10-30 in his first season as Union's head baseball coach, it might have seemed improbable to think Chris Lewis and the Bulldogs would be able to have accomplished what they have in year two.

By nearly all accounts, his team, which on Friday defeated the third-ranked team in the country for a second consecutive day and clinched a spot in the NAIA National Tournament, did something few would have seen coming at the start of season. But would Lewis have predicted it himself?

"Being honest, no," he said. "We thought we'd return to the postseason through (the AAC Tournament) and give it our best."

But the unlikely goal was officially achieved on Friday, as a four-run eighth inning propelled Union into the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship game and into the national field, as the fifth-seeded Bulldogs defeated top-seed and nationally third-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan 5-2 in the AAC semifinals.

After drubbing the Tennessee-based Bulldogs 12-2 on Thursday, offense was harder to come by for Union Friday, as the teams were locked in a 1-1 draw going into the eighth, before a familiarly potent bat blew things open.

After recording seven RBIs in the tournament's first two games, Hazel Martinez picked a great time to connect on number eight, driving an RBI double down the right field line, providing a breakthrough he and his teammates had been expecting through an early offensive slog.

"I was looking for a pitch to drive into the gap and it just got down," Martinez said. "This team fights. Whoever's on the mound, whoever's on the field, we fight. And we fought tonight."

An error and wild pitch brought around two more runs before a Colton Stegman single completed the scoring and gave Union a four-run cushion.

While the offense took its time, James Raffauf kept things on track. Inserted into the game as a reliever in the first inning, Raffauf stayed on the bump for seven-and-a-third without allowing a run, finishing with six strikeouts. He worked his way out of numerous jams, stranding Wesleyan runners at third base without a run coming home in three different innings.

After a long college career with numerous stops, Raffauf says he feels like he found a home in his final year, and is elated to pay it off with a national appearance.

"It feels amazing, man," he said. "This has been a long time coming. Five years in college and wow, here we are. (I said) 'You worked so hard for this, let's finish, let's show them what you've got.' And I'm glad I did."

Wesleyan made things interesting, scoring a run and loading the bases with no outs in the ninth, only for Luke Powell, who drove in Union's first run in the fourth inning, to come in and strike out the first two batters he faced before forcing a game-ending groundout to first base.

Lewis is hoping to "put the cherry on top" of the AAC tournament experience Saturday, as the Bulldogs will play in the championship game at 3 p.m. They will face either Reinhardt or Bryan, who play in an elimination game at 11 a.m.

But after attempting to work with a singular vision throughout the season, an emotional Lewis says he was ecstatic to see things come together so quickly, and was happy to share in the moment with his team.

"Truthfully, the glory goes to God," he said. "That's important for people to know. We emphasized with our guys their faith in God this year and making that a priority without a doubt.

"There's also a long tradition within Union baseball and it's important for us to respect that. I'm just super proud of this group. Our guys just continually found a way. And I'm proud of them."