Sunday, May 14
Spartanburg, S.C.
5:30 p.m.
Mercer University
38-12, 17-4
11
at
7
Wofford
26-27, 11-10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 1 |
| Wofford | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Coulter, Kevin (5-2)
L: Austin Higginbotham (5-5)
S: Spear, Nick (8)
Batting:
2B: Meeder, Matt 1 ; Cornell, Conrad 1
HR: Edgeworth, Danny 1 ; Meeder, Matt 1
RBI: Hagan, Ryan 1 ; Edgeworth, Danny 2 ; Ware, Jackson 2 ; Meeder, Matt 2 ; Joe, Howard 1 ; Cornell, Conrad 2
SF: Meeder, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hagan, Ryan 1 ; Hanson, Alex 1 ; Thomas, JT 2 ; Edgeworth, Danny 1 ; Ware, Jackson 1 ; Meeder, Matt 3 ; Madden, Charlie 1 ; Cornell, Conrad 1
SB: Hanson, Alex 1
HBP: Thomas, JT 1
Batting:
2B: Mack Nathanson 2 ; Brett Rodriguez 1
HR: Mack Nathanson 1 ; Reed Massey 1
RBI: Carson Waln 1 ; Mack Nathanson 4 ; Reed Massey 1 ; Max McDougald 1
SH: Alex Malsch 1
SF: Carson Waln 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McClain Bradley 2 ; Brett Hash 2 ; Carson Waln 1 ; Mack Nathanson 1 ; Reed Massey 1
SB: McClain Bradley 2 ; Brett Hash 2 ; Mack Nathanson 1 ; Brett Rodriguez 2
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
RHP
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RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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INF
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OF
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Photo by: Alex Hicks
Bears Repeat as SoCon Regular Season Champs with Win at Wofford
5/14/2017 9:45:00 PM | Baseball
Bats power Mercer to a SoCon regular season title three-peat
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer used 15 hits to clinch the outright Southern Conference regular season title for the third consecutive year with an 11-7 win over Wofford at Russell C. King Field Sunday night.
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Mercer (38-12, 17-4 SoCon) scored six unanswered runs from the second to sixth innings and withstood a late Wofford (26-27, 11-10) rally to capture its 38th overall victory and 11th weekend series win of the season. Matt Meeder and Ryan Hagan each notched four-hit performances and combined for three runs scored and two RBIs to lead the offensive attack.
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Conrad Cornell deposited a pinch-hit two-RBI double off the left field wall in the sixth to give Mercer a 5-3 advantage. Cornell scored during the following at bat as Hagan's third hit of the game – and sixth of the doubleheader – brought him home from second base. The Bears would lead the rest of the way en route to the title-sealing win.
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After Wofford put three runs on the board in the home half of the first via a sacrifice fly and two-run home run, Mercer climbed back with three of its own by the end of the fourth. Meeder and Danny Edgeworth connected for solo home runs before the Bears tied it, 3-3, on a fielding error at shortstop that allowed Meeder to score after a double.
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Nick Spear tossed three innings of one-hit ball and struck out six to close out the game after Kevin Coulter (5-2) earned the win, lasting five innings while surrendering four runs. He gave up a solo shot in the sixth after the Bears' claimed the lead in the prior half inning.
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Coach Gibson's Take
Opening Thoughts on Three Straight Regular Season Titles:
For us to win three consecutive SoCon regular season titles is a testament to the great senior class we have in this program. These guys have improved every year and we've been played tough by every opponent this conference season.
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"To win a doubleheader after a hard-fought Friday night loss says a lot about the character and make-up of this group. These are fun guys; one of the most enjoyable teams I've had [at Mercer]. Hopefully we can take this into the tournament."
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On Mercer's Individual Performances:
"You can't say enough about Howard Joe. He's been through it all and came up big today. Conrad Cornell had a big hit off the wall…Ryan Hagan was great today.
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"I thought our pitching did well today, though. Coulter was good and Austin Cox was solid. Our bullpen is tough to beat with Robert Broom and Nick Spear, too."
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Player of the Game
Matt Meeder made his first career start at third base and ran with the opportunity. The senior tied a career-high with four hits (4-for-4) and added three runs scored, two RBIs and a pair of extra-base hits.
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Stat of the Day
Mercer is the first SoCon team to three-peat since Western Carolina claimed three SoCon South Division titles and the overall league title from 1986-89. Excluding division play, the last three-time champ was West Virginia, which won it four times from 1961-64.
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Pitchers of Record
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook), @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) and Mercer Bears (Snapchat) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Mercer (38-12, 17-4 SoCon) scored six unanswered runs from the second to sixth innings and withstood a late Wofford (26-27, 11-10) rally to capture its 38th overall victory and 11th weekend series win of the season. Matt Meeder and Ryan Hagan each notched four-hit performances and combined for three runs scored and two RBIs to lead the offensive attack.
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Conrad Cornell deposited a pinch-hit two-RBI double off the left field wall in the sixth to give Mercer a 5-3 advantage. Cornell scored during the following at bat as Hagan's third hit of the game – and sixth of the doubleheader – brought him home from second base. The Bears would lead the rest of the way en route to the title-sealing win.
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After Wofford put three runs on the board in the home half of the first via a sacrifice fly and two-run home run, Mercer climbed back with three of its own by the end of the fourth. Meeder and Danny Edgeworth connected for solo home runs before the Bears tied it, 3-3, on a fielding error at shortstop that allowed Meeder to score after a double.
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Nick Spear tossed three innings of one-hit ball and struck out six to close out the game after Kevin Coulter (5-2) earned the win, lasting five innings while surrendering four runs. He gave up a solo shot in the sixth after the Bears' claimed the lead in the prior half inning.
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Coach Gibson's Take
Opening Thoughts on Three Straight Regular Season Titles:
For us to win three consecutive SoCon regular season titles is a testament to the great senior class we have in this program. These guys have improved every year and we've been played tough by every opponent this conference season.
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"To win a doubleheader after a hard-fought Friday night loss says a lot about the character and make-up of this group. These are fun guys; one of the most enjoyable teams I've had [at Mercer]. Hopefully we can take this into the tournament."
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On Mercer's Individual Performances:
"You can't say enough about Howard Joe. He's been through it all and came up big today. Conrad Cornell had a big hit off the wall…Ryan Hagan was great today.
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"I thought our pitching did well today, though. Coulter was good and Austin Cox was solid. Our bullpen is tough to beat with Robert Broom and Nick Spear, too."
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Player of the Game
Matt Meeder made his first career start at third base and ran with the opportunity. The senior tied a career-high with four hits (4-for-4) and added three runs scored, two RBIs and a pair of extra-base hits.
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Stat of the Day
Mercer is the first SoCon team to three-peat since Western Carolina claimed three SoCon South Division titles and the overall league title from 1986-89. Excluding division play, the last three-time champ was West Virginia, which won it four times from 1961-64.
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Pitchers of Record
- Win: Kevin Coulter, Mercer (5-2)
- Loss: Austin Higginbotham, Wofford (5-5)
- Mercer: 38-12 (17-4 SoCon)
- Wofford: 26-27Â (11-10Â SoCon)
- Mercer: Hosts Kennesaw State (6 p.m., Tuesday, May 16 at OrthoGeorgia Park)
- Wofford: At The Citadel (4 p.m., Thursday, May 18 in Charleston, S.C.)
- This is Mercer's first three-peat in program history.
- The Bears are the third team in SoCon history to win three consecutive regular season titles.
- All but two Bears with plate appearances collected at least one hit.
- Jackson Ware contributed a pair of RBIs with a 1-for-4 effort.
- Both Meeder and Hagan had four-hit performances. They were a combined 8-for-9 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
- The Bears lead Wofford 17-10 in the all-time series.
- Cornell's RBI double was his first extra-base hit since March 7 against Savannah State.
- Meeder's solo home run was his first of the season and sixth of his career.
- Charlie Madden singled through the left side in the sixth for his 200th career hit.
- Howard Joe delivered a RBI single in the seventh, his first RBI since March 14 at Georgia.
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook), @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) and Mercer Bears (Snapchat) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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