KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Marco Romero hit a walkoff home run to right to defeat No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan and give the Grenadiers their second-straight walkoff win in the 2021 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round on Tuesday.
With the 4-3 win, the Grenadiers advance to the championship game needing just one win to clinch a berth in the NAIA World Series.
The game swung back and forth throughout as the Grenadiers took the lead in the first inning behind Monday's hero, Brody Tanksley, who doubled to center to drive in Drew Hensley, who had also doubled.
The lead was short-lived as Bryce Giles hit a two-run home run to left to give the Bulldogs the lead.
IU Southeast (47-14) tied it in the fourth when Brody Tanksley hit his 18th home run of the year to left.
But the Bulldogs' slugger Gary Mattis hit his 24th home run of the year to lead off the sixth and put Tennessee Wesleyan back in front at 3-2.
The Grenadiers tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Derek Wagner reached base on a wild throw and scored on a RBI triple by John Ullom.
The Bulldogs (52-5) threatened to take the lead back in the top of the ninth as they put runners at first and third with two outs but reliever Trevor Reynolds struck out Giles to end the inning. Reynolds was spectacular in relief. He worked three shutout innings and allowed just one hit and walked a batter while striking out three for his ninth win.
After Tanksley struck out in the ninth, Romero sent the second pitch he saw over the right-field fence for his sixth home run of the year.
Brody Tanksley had two hits and drove in two in the win.
The Grenadiers will face the winner of Tennessee Wesleyan vs the Northwestern Ohio/Mount Vernon Nazarene winner Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
