Mercer University
Kennesaw St.
Baseball Drops Another Close One to Kennesaw State 5-3
3/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team had another close game go against them in a 5-3 defeat to Kennesaw State on Friday evening at Claude Smith Field.
Kennesaw State (15-10, 8-2 A-Sun) scored a run in the seventh and a run in the eighth to come away with the win, its fifth-straight Atlantic Sun Conference victory.
Mercer starter Brandon Love was in a huge jam in the top of the first with the bases loaded and no one out when he induced sophomore Ronnie Freeman to ground into an inning ending triple play. The triple play is the first-ever achieved during the modern era of Mercer baseball (1948-Present).
After the amazing play in the field, the Bears came up to bat and pushed two runs across in the bottom half of the frame. After a single by senior Joe Winker, junior Jacob Tanis blasted a two-run home run to left field to stake the home team to an early 2-0 lead.
That looked to be plenty for Love who was cruising through the Owls lineup, at one point striking out six-straight, before he ran into problems in the middle innings. Junior Andy Chriscaden hit an RBI double in the fourth to make the score 2-1, before a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by sophomore Peyton Hart gave Kennesaw State a 3-2 lead.
Things took a shocking turn in the bottom half of the sixth with Tanis on first base and senior Thomas Carroll at the plate. Carroll appeared to crush a two-run home run to left field to give Mercer back the lead, at 4-3, but was called out on an appeal saying he failed to tag first base during his home run trot. The out nullified the home run and only allowed Tanis' run to count, making the score 3-3 through six.
With Love now out of the game, Kennesaw State pushed across a run in the seventh and a run in the eighth off Mercer relievers to take a 5-3 lead.
The Bears had one more shot to send the game into extras in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run at the plate, but Winker struck out swinging against Kennesaw State closer J.B. Johnson to end the game.
Junior Josh Carr picked up the win for the Owls after going seven innings and allowing just three earned runs on seven hits.
Tanis finished 2-for-3 on the evening with two RBI and two runs scored.
Mercer is back on the diamond on Saturday afternoon for game two of the three game series with Kennesaw State. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Claude Smith Field.
