Friday, March 17
Greenville, N.C.
8:45 p.m.
Mercer University
16-4
7
at
5
East Carolina
13-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Mercer
0
1
0
0
1
0
4
0
1
7
10
1
Pirates
0
2
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
5
11
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Graveno, Zach (2-0)
L: INGLE, Joe (3-1)
S: Coulter, Kevin (1)
Batting:
2B: Hagan, Ryan 1 ; Edgeworth, Danny 2 ; Bening, Hunter 1
RBI: Hanson, Alex 2 ; Hagan, Ryan 1 ; Madden, Charlie 1 ; Edgeworth, Danny 1 ; Bening, Hunter 1 ; Crotty, Alex 1
SH: Hanson, Alex 1 ; Bening, Hunter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Truitt, Trey 1 ; Hanson, Alex 1 ; Thomas, JT 1 ; Ware, Jackson 1 ; Edgeworth, Danny 2 ; Bening, Hunter 1
HBP: Thomas, JT 2
PO: Thomas, JT 1
Batting:
HR: BROWN, Turner 1 ; BRICKHOUSE, Spencer 1
RBI: BROWN, Turner 1 ; BRICKHOUSE, Spencer 1 ; HARMAN, Bryce 2 ; PHILLIPS, Wes 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BROWN, Turner 2 ; WATKINS, Travis 1 ; BRICKHOUSE, Spencer 1 ; TYLER, Eric 1
SB: TYLER, Eric 1 ; HARMAN, Bryce 1
CS: PHILLIPS, Wes 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
3b/2b
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
ph/3b
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
Mercer Clinches Series with 7-5 Win over #8 ECU
3/18/2017 12:18:00 AM | Baseball
Seventh-inning comeback proves to be the key
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A seventh-inning two-run single by Alex Hanson vaulted Mercer to its second win of the day, 7-5, over No. 8 ECU and clinched the series victory for the Bears Friday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
The Bears (16-4) have won five consecutive series to open the season and their last 12 series dating back to last spring. Nationally ranked ECU dropped to 13-6.
Mercer used five pitchers in the win, including right-hander Zach Graveno (2-0), who worked around a solo home run in the home half of the seventh to toss 1.2 innings and pick up the win. Southpaw Austin Cox logged 5.2 innings in his sixth start of the year en route to the no-decision. Kevin Coulter earned his first career save as well.
Hanson's go-ahead hit highlighted a four-run seventh inning for the Bears, who batted around in the frame to overcome a 4-2 deficit. Hunter Bening cut the Pirates' lead to one run with a RBI-double before Hanson's single put Mercer ahead for good. Ryan Hagan plated Hanson in the following at bat with a double to right-center.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
The honor goes to both Danny Edgeworth and Hanson. Edgeworth doubled twice in his first two at bats and plated Mercer's first run of the game en route to a 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored. Hanson came up with the clutch, late-inning single and added a jaw-dropping catch at the warning track in the bottom of the eighth to rob ECU of a leadoff extra-base hit.
STAT OF THE GAME
The last time ECU dropped a doubleheader was March 13, 2009 in Greenville at the hands of UCLA, which reached the College World Series that year.
COACH GIBSON'S TAKE
"This is probably one of the best days we've had in program history. To be out here for 11 hours and get two wins against a great club, it says a lot. This was a total team effort; we were great on the mound all day, defensively we were pretty good and then we added some big moments with the bats.
"We've got a lot of fight in our dugout. We've got guys with experience who have been through the battles before.
"We changed some roles this weekend. I'm really proud of Kevin Coulter there at the end of game two and Zach Graveno who came in and gave us some big outs. Christian Vann was solid again in game two. We're looking forward to game three on Sunday."
PITCHER'S OF RECORD
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
The Bears (16-4) have won five consecutive series to open the season and their last 12 series dating back to last spring. Nationally ranked ECU dropped to 13-6.
Mercer used five pitchers in the win, including right-hander Zach Graveno (2-0), who worked around a solo home run in the home half of the seventh to toss 1.2 innings and pick up the win. Southpaw Austin Cox logged 5.2 innings in his sixth start of the year en route to the no-decision. Kevin Coulter earned his first career save as well.
Hanson's go-ahead hit highlighted a four-run seventh inning for the Bears, who batted around in the frame to overcome a 4-2 deficit. Hunter Bening cut the Pirates' lead to one run with a RBI-double before Hanson's single put Mercer ahead for good. Ryan Hagan plated Hanson in the following at bat with a double to right-center.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
The honor goes to both Danny Edgeworth and Hanson. Edgeworth doubled twice in his first two at bats and plated Mercer's first run of the game en route to a 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored. Hanson came up with the clutch, late-inning single and added a jaw-dropping catch at the warning track in the bottom of the eighth to rob ECU of a leadoff extra-base hit.
STAT OF THE GAME
The last time ECU dropped a doubleheader was March 13, 2009 in Greenville at the hands of UCLA, which reached the College World Series that year.
COACH GIBSON'S TAKE
"This is probably one of the best days we've had in program history. To be out here for 11 hours and get two wins against a great club, it says a lot. This was a total team effort; we were great on the mound all day, defensively we were pretty good and then we added some big moments with the bats.
"We've got a lot of fight in our dugout. We've got guys with experience who have been through the battles before.
"We changed some roles this weekend. I'm really proud of Kevin Coulter there at the end of game two and Zach Graveno who came in and gave us some big outs. Christian Vann was solid again in game two. We're looking forward to game three on Sunday."
PITCHER'S OF RECORD
- Win: Zach Graveno, Mercer (2-0)
- Loss: Joe Ingle, ECU (3-1)
- Mercer: 16-4
- ECU: 13-6
- Mercer: Game 3 at East Carolina, 1 p.m., March 18 at Clark-LeClair Stadium (Greenville, N.C.)
- ECU: Game 3 vs. Mercer, 1 p.m., March 18 at Clark-LeClair Stadium (Greenville, N.C.)
- Mercer doubled ECU's losses at home this season, dropping the Pirates to 9-3 at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
- The Bears are 2-0 all-time against the Pirates.
- Alex Crotty notched his first career multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a RBI-single in the fifth that tied the game, 2-2.
- Bening went 1-for-3 with a RBI, rounding out a three-RBI day in the doubleheader.
- Cox was just shy of tying his career-high in innings pitched (6.0), which he set in his last start against Bradley.
- Charlie Madden and Jackson Ware have identical team-leading 11-game on-base streaks.
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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