Mercer University
Alabama St.
Baseball Shuts Down Alabama State, 9-1
2/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – Junior Brandon Love threw six shutout innings to help the Mercer baseball team to a 9-1 win over Alabama State on Saturday afternoon at Claude Smith Field.
Love's dominant performance on the mound follows up a near no-hit bid by fellow hurler Matt McCall on Friday evening.
Love was the beneficiary of some early run support, however, with the Mercer offense piling up six runs on Alabama State pitching over the first two innings.
Junior Billy Burns scored the first run of the game when he singled to right, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third base and came all the way around on another wild pitch to make the score 1-0.
The Bears broke the game open in the second when they batted around and scored five runs in the frame. An Alabama State error accounted for two of the runs, which combined with a two-run home run by freshman Derrick Workman and an RBI groundout by junior Jacob Tanis pushed Mercer's lead up to 6-0.
That would be more than enough for Love, who put together his second-straight quality start after allowing only two earned runs in his first start of the season. The Augusta, Ga. native finished his outing allowing just two hits while striking out six Hornet hitters.
Burns finished the afternoon going three-for-four with two runs scored and sophomore Travis Benn also hit a home run in the contest, his second of the season.
Tanis went hitless in the game, ending a 15-game hitting streak dating back to last season.
Mercer concludes its three-game series with Alabama State on Sunday afternoon. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Claude Smith Field.
