Baseball Takes Series with 9-2 Win Over WCU

Sunday, May 1

Cullowhee, NC

1 pm

Mercer University

28-17, 12-6

Western Caro.

22-21, 12-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Mercer	1	1	1	1	0	0	1	4	0	9	13	0
Western Carolina	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	9	2

5/1/2016 5:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Mercer University baseball team closed out another series victory with a convincing 9-2 win over Western Carolina on Sunday afternoon at Hennon Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer jumped out to a 4-0 lead to start the game, scoring a run in each of the first four frames. Ryan Hagan started the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, before Blaise Lezynski scored on a throwing error in the second. The Bears added a solo shot from Danny Edgeworth in the third and a RBI single from Hagan in the fourth for a 4-0 advantage.

Western Carolina got back-to-back two out hits in the fourth to break up Kevin Coulter's shutout bid with a run, before adding another run on Garrett Brown's solo home run to pull within two, 4-2.

However, the Bears pushed their lead back to three, 5-2, with a run in the top of the seventh. Lezynski led off the frame with a double down the right field line and his replacement on the base paths, Jackson Ware, would score one out later on Ben Upton's RBI single.

The three-run lead was more than sufficient for the Bears' pitching staff, which limited the league's second-ranked offense to just two runs, but Mercer kept rolling in the eighth. The Orange and Black plated four runs in the inning, as RBIs from Charlie Madden and Ware as well as a two-run single from Hunter Bening pushed their lead to 9-2.

KEY TO THE GAME
Mercer's pitching staff saved its best outing of the weekend for the finale, holding WCU to just two runs on nine hits. Coulter faced the minimum through three innings en route to his sixth win of the season, as he scattered two runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of action. Conard Broom picked up from there, holding the Catamounts to just one hit in 2.2 frames, before Austin Cox recorded the final three outs to close out the win.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Lezynski had his second three-hit game of the year, finishing 3-for-4 on his way to his seventh multiple-hit effort. The senior played a part in two of the team's first five runs, while hitting two doubles in a game for the second time this season.

NOTABLES

Mercer now leads the all-time series between the two programs 5-3, having won three of the last four contests in Cullowhee.
The Bears have won nine of their 11 weekend series, posting a 22-11 mark in those contests.
The victory helps Mercer improve to 11-8 on the road in 2016.
The Orange and Black reached double-figure hits for the 24th time this season with 13 on the day to improve to 19-5 when accomplishing the feat.
The Bears moved to 6-0 this season when holding opponents under three runs.
Lewis reached base in four of his six trips to the plate, notching his fourth straight multiple-hit effort and 24th of the year. He finished 2-for-4 at the plate, while adding two walks, giving him eight this weekend and 50 for the season.
Hagan drove in multiple runs for the second time this series and eighth time this season, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with his 22nd game with two or more hits.
Edgeworth reached base four times in the series finale, going 1-for-3 at the plate while adding three walks. He also scored a team-high three runs.
Madden's RBI single in the eighth gave him his eighth multiple-hit effort of the year.

RECORDS UPDATE
Mercer improves to 28-17 overall and 12-6 in SoCon play, while Western Carolina falls to 22-21 overall and 12-6 in league play.

UP NEXT
The Bears will be back in action next weekend, as they welcome The Citadel to town for their final home series of 2016. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 5 at Claude Smith Field.