Mercer University
Auburn
Mercer Drops Series Opener at Auburn, 9-5
3/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
AUBURN, Ala. – The Mercer baseball team's late-inning rally came up short in a 9-5 series opening loss at Auburn on Friday evening in front of 2,782 fans at Plainsman Park.
Mercer (12-3) was out-hit 12-8 in the contest and falls to 3-2 overall in night games thus far in 2014.
Auburn got off to a quick start in the top of the first against Mercer starter Grant Papelian. Senior Damek Tomscha pulled a solo home run over the wall in left field to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers built on their lead in the bottom of the second when sophomore Jordan Ebert ripped a two-RBI triple to left and was promptly brought in with a suicide squeeze bunt to make the score 4-0 Auburn.
That is the way things would stay as Auburn starter Dillon Ortman held the Mercer offense at bay through the early and middle innings. The Bears first real threat of the contest came in the top of the 5th when they loaded the bases, but junior Chesny Young sharply grounded out to third to end the frame.
Auburn continued to tack on runs against Mercer pitching, however, pushing across runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
The Bears did eventually break into the scoring column in the top of the eighth thanks to an RBI groundout by freshman Nathaniel Lowe, an RBI single by classmate Charlie Madden and a bases loaded walk by senior Derrick Workman to make the score 9-3.
Young brought the Bears even closer with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to make the score 9-5, but that would be as close as the Bears would get as Auburn reliever Daniel Koger recorded the final two outs of the game to secure the win for the Tigers.
Ortman was the story of the game for Auburn though as the Huntsville, Ala. native worked 7.2 innings and allowed two runs on six hits to go along with six strikeouts to pick up his third win of the season.
Workman was the bright spot in Mercer's order, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and an RBI to record his second multi-hit game of the season.
Mercer and Auburn are back at it tomorrow afternoon with a 4 p.m. first pitch scheduled at Plainsman Park.
