Mercer University
Jacksonville
Dolphins Sink Bears in Extra Innings, 6-5
4/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team once again fell just short in frustrating fashion, losing 6-5 in 10 innings to Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon at Claude Smith Field.
Mercer (22-13, 8-9 A-Sun) had the winning run on third in the bottom of the ninth with no outs and the tying run on second base with one out in the bottom of the 10th but failed to capitalize on either situation.
Freshman Chris Anderson pitched three shutout innings of relief to secure the win and series sweep for Jacksonville (20-12, 10-5 A-Sun).
Mercer used an RBI double by senior John Moreland, a sacrifice fly by freshman Derrick Workman and an RBI double by sophomore Evan Boyd to jump out to a 4-0 advantage after five innings.
Bears starter Justice French cruised through the first five innings, allowing just three hits against a potent Dolphins lineup. Everything changed, however, in the top of the seventh as the Jacksonville bats came to life. An error, a two-RBI single by senior Alex Swenson and an RBI single by classmate Esterlin Perozo tied the game up, at 4-4.
After senior Thomas Carroll gave the Bears the lead back with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, freshman Chris Moye tied the game up at 5-5 and forced extra innings in the top of the ninth with an RBI single of his own.
That is the way things stayed until Jacksonville re-took the lead, 6-5, in the top of the 10th thanks to a wild pitch that allowed sophomore Dan Gulbransen to score.
The Bears had a chance to extend the game in the bottom half of the frame after Moreland hit a double with one out, but Anderson buckled down to record the final two outs of the game.
Carroll finished the day 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI while freshman DJ Johnson went 3-for-6 with a run scored in a losing effort.
Mercer returns to action on Tuesday when it welcomes Savannah State into town for a mid-week tilt. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Claude Smith Field.
