TMU football evens record as big win in Alabama highlights Saints’ weekend sports

BIG ROAD WIN IN ALABAMA EVENS SAINTS FOOTBALL AT 3-3

With their third road win of the season, TMU’s Saints evened their season record at 3-3 after a 24-7 victory over the Eagles of Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala. And it came in come-from-behind fashion as TMU, after falling behind 7-0 early, roared back to score the game’s final 24 points. The first score came quickly on two plays for 89 yards as QB Blaine Espinosa hit Craig Wills for 53 yards and then threw the next one to Preston Agee for a 26-yard TD.

Luke Iden hit his first career field goal, from 43 yards out, longest of the season for TMU, to put the Saints ahead for good in the second quarter, 10-7. Kolton Reeves’ first interception of the season and more importantly, the 62-yard return to the 2-yard line, Wills made it 17-7 a play later. The final score came in the third quarter on an 11-play drive with a Mike Kirch scoring on an eight-yard pass from Espinosa.

FOOTNOTED: Espinosa tied his season-high with three touchdown passes (also Kentucky Christian) . . . Kirch scored his first career collegiate touchdown . . . Agee scored his third touchdown of the season . . . Wills scored his second touchdown of the season . . . Maleek Jarrett rushed for a game-high 67 yards . . . Christian Rice recorded his first interception of the season to go along with seven solo tackles . . . Along with his interception, Reeves made three solo tackles with one being a sack . . . Del Thomas led the team with nine tackles (seven solo, two assisted) . . . The Saints tied their season-high with four sacks as Amos Griffith and Axel Bell also recorded sacks (with Lawrence and Reeves) . . . Elgin Phillips averaged 48.8 yards on six punts, with a long of 62, while pinning the Eagles inside their 20 twice . . . The Saints’ defense has allowed just 19 points over the last two games.

UP NEXT: The Saints are 2-1 in the Mid-South Conference and return to action at Republic Bank Field Saturday for Homecoming against Cumberland University, a team TMU beat 10-3 last season.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL DROPS 1ST MSC MATCH

Visiting Lindsey Wilson swept TMU’s women 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-20) Saturday to send the 13-8 Saints (7-1 in the MSC) to their first conference loss. Lindsey Wilson jumped out early in the first set and TMU got no closer than 19-15. In the second, TMU rallied from a 24-17 deficit to 24-22 before falling on the next point. Same pattern the final set s LW jumped out 16-9, TMU rallied but could get no closer than 16-14 before falling 25-20.

NOTED: Asia Ferrando recorded her second consecutive match with 22 digs. Ruthie Neu (14) and Kae Woelfel (10) also both contributed double-digit digs . . . Senior Sawyer Lorentz had five total blocks in the match (two solo, three assists) . . . Sam McClanahan dished out 27 assists . . . Lorentz and Ally Albrinck were both honored before the game for Senior Day.

UP NEXT: TMU returns to action Thursday at home against NCAA Div. II foe Central State (Ohio).

WOMEN’S SOCCER BIG WINNERS

With a 5-0 romp over Freed Hardeman, the TMU women improved to 9-2-2 (4-2 in the MSC). Junior transfer Sterre Harsveld van der Veen scored first off a double assist cross from junior Sydney Rhodes and junior Lindsay Ballinger to put the Saints on the board 1-0.

The rest of the scoring went like this: Junior Ainsley Clark scored on a breakaway off a double pass from sophomore Eva Kinwel and junior Brooke Breaker to put the Saints up 2-0 . . . Junior Ryann Meddings scored on a penalty kick to open the second half . . . In the 47th minute, first-year Lauren Laake made it 4-0 off a cross from Rhodes . . . and then first year Chloe Meyer headed the ball into the net for her first collegiate goal off a long ball from Meddings.

UP NEXT: TMU returns to action Wednesday at Cumberland (Tenn.) in Lebanon, Tenn. at 2:00 p.m.

WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY RECEIVING NAIA POLL VOTES

For the second straight week, and after a strong performance in the Louisville Cross-Country Classic, the Saints received votes – four this week – in the NAIA Top 25 poll. The Saints’ fifth-place finish Saturday a week ago in the 40-team Louisville field where first-year Jess Sanders led the way for the Saints, finishing 14th with a season-best time of 19:13.6. Dyllan Hasler also had a season-best with a 19:22.5 to finish 17th. Savannah Faught (19:47.8, 33rd) and Marlee Ross (19:53.0, 40th) also set season-best times while Ashley Akins (20:39.0, 88th) gave the Saints’ top five runners their fastest time as a team this season.

UP NEXT: Thomas More was off this weekend but will travel Friday to Wilmington, Ohio for the Jenna Strong Fall Classic hosted by Wilmington College. TMU finished sixth out of 24 teams last season at Wilmington.