KINGSPORT, Tenn. - No. 2 seed Union College survived a test of wills against fifth-seeded UVa-Wise Friday, winning 8-7 to advance to the championship game of the 2008 Appalachian Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn.

The win was also the 40th for the Bulldogs, marking the fourth year in a row and fifth overall they have registered 40 wins in a season.

Union (40-13 overall) will now face top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan College Saturday at 11 a.m. for the championship.

Despite posting eight runs, Union only generated five base hits. The UVa-Wise pitching staff helped out with nine walks - two intentional, and one hit batter. UVa-Wise (29-21 overall) outhit Union 13-5.

UVa-Wise cracked the scoring column first as Mike Lang and Brad Austin lined run-scoring hits in the third, making it a 2-0 contest.

Union cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third thanks to a Kenny Kysar (Corbin, Ky.) RBI single.

However, Josh Verts and Edwin Narvaez each drove in a run in the fourth to up UVa-Wise's lead to 4-1. Union got one run back in the bottom of the frame when catcher Adam Skoranski overthrew third baseman Matt Duffy when trying to throw out Matt Brady (Louisville, Ky.) attempting to steal third. The errant throw allowed Brady to score easily, pulling Union within 4-2.

Union evened the score in the bottom of the fifth when Justin Hart (Lake Mary, Fla.) lined a two-run double down the left-field line. Then, with the bases loaded and one out, Trey Wheeler (Hopkinsville, Ky.) singled to right to plate Joe Grinstead (Bowling Green, Ky.) for a 5-4 Union lead. David Fairbanks (Cincinnati, Ohio) knocked in another run when he reached on a fielder's choice to up the margin to 6-4.

But the lead was short-lived as Verts blasted a two-run home run over the left-field wall in the top of the sixth, making it 6-6.

Union quickly responded in the bottom of the sixth as Brett McAlpin (Winchester, Ky.) sent the first pitch he saw from reliever Seth Jones over the left-field wall, putting the Bulldogs up 7-6.

Yet, UVa-Wise would not quit as Brad Robbins singled in Jorge Laboy to knot the score at 7-7 in the top of the seventh. But as had been the case the previous half innings, Union responded with a run as Fairbanks knocked in Josh Ehringer (Somerset, Ky.) to take an 8-7 edge.

Chaz Bargo (Artemus, Ky.) picked up his first win of the season, pitching three innings without allowing a run on two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

Seth Frisby took the loss, allowing two runs on one hit and three walks with one strikeout.

Austin went 4-for-5 with a RBI, while Robbins was 3-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored.

Bulldog Notes

• Union stole eight bases in the win, giving it 170 on the year and 21 in the tournament.
• Matt Brady saw his hit streak come to an end at 11 games as he went 0-for-1 with three walks.