KINGSPORT, Tenn. - In what turned out to be a war of attrition, top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan College held on for a 14-13 victory over No. 2 seed Union College, capturing the 2008 Appalachian Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn., Saturday.

The two teams combined for 27 runs, 26 hits, nine extra-base hits, six errors, 11 walks, four hit batters and two balks in what resulted in a wild affair.

Neither team had more than a four-run lead, and there were just two innings in which neither team scored.

Both teams now advance to the NAIA Region XII Tournament, which will be held at Hunter Wright Stadium May 7-10.

With the loss, Union's record dropped to 40-14, while Tennessee Wesleyan is now 41-15.

Union struck first, posting four runs in the top of the first. Kenny Kysar (Corbin, Ky.) and Lioney Henriquez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led off with back-to-back singles. After moving up a base on a sac bunt, both scored when Justin Hart (Lake Mary, Fla.) reached on an error. Matt Brady (Louisville, Ky.) and Trey Wheeler (Hopkinsville, Ky.) each chipped in run-scoring hits as Union seized a 4-0 advantage.

Tennessee Wesleyan countered with a three-run rally of its own in the bottom of the first. Dean McDermond drove in the first run, and Tyler Moyneur followed with a two-run single up the middle, cutting the margin to 4-3.

In the top of the second, Kysar and Henriquez scored again to up the margin to 6-3 in Union's favor. However, Tennessee Wesleyan reeled off three runs in the bottom of the frame to even the score at 6-6. Gary Tucker delivered the big blow with a two-run single.

Tennessee Wesleyan picked up a run in each the third and fourth innings to take an 8-6 advantage. But Union fought back in the fifth, scoring twice to knot the score at 8-8. Josh Ehringer (Somerset, Ky.) ripped a double to right-center field to score Hart from first. Ehringer eventually came home on a David Fairbanks (Cincinnati, Ohio) single.

In the bottom of the fifth, Tucker singled in a run and Alan Wimmer ripped a two-run double to give Tennessee Wesleyan an 11-8 lead. Wimmer later scored on a sac fly, upping the margin to 12-8.

In the eighth, Union loaded the bases with two outs when Ehringer lined a bases-clearing double down the left-field line to make it 12-11. Ehringer then scored when Brady reached on an error, evening the score at 12-12.

But once again, Tennessee Wesleyan had an answer in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two runs to take a 14-12 lead. Mat Stanley lined a run-scoring single to right-center field. Later on, pinch-runner Matt McKee scored when Kevin Carby reached on an error.

Union made things interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with no outs. Henriquez lifted a sac fly to left to knock in Fairbanks, making it 14-13. But Union was unable to push another run across as Tennessee Wesleyan held on for the one-run victory and the championship.

Ehringer drove in four runs for Union in going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Kysar was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

Chaz Bargo (Artemus, Ky.) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on two hits and no walks with one strikeout.

For Tennessee Wesleyan, Moyneur went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored, while Tucker was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Jon Swartout threw the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit and no walks with a strikeout in collecting the victory.

Bulldog Notes

• Kenny Kysar extended his team-leading hit streak to six games.
• For the first team during the tournament, an opponent stole more bases than Union as Tennessee Wesleyan had three while Union had one.
• One player on each teams' starting lineup failed to get a hit.