Mercer University
11-11
Georgia Tech
14-7
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Amos Willingham (3-0)
L: Gipson-Long, Sawyer (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Kyle McCann 1 ; Tristin English 1 ; Colin Hall 1 ; Austin Wilhite 1 ; Nick Wilhite 1
HR: Austin Wilhite 1
RBI: Luke Waddell 1 ; Michael Guldberg 3 ; Kyle McCann 1 ; Colin Hall 1 ; Austin Wilhite 4 ; Jackson Webb 1 ; Nick Wilhite 2
SH: Jackson Webb 1
SF: Colin Hall 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Luke Waddell 2 ; Michael Guldberg 1 ; Baron Radcliff 1 ; Colin Hall 3 ; Austin Wilhite 3 ; Jackson Webb 1 ; Nick Wilhite 3
SB: Baron Radcliff 1 ; Jackson Webb 1 ; Nick Wilhite 1
Batting:
HR: Johnson, Kel 2 ; DiSpigna, Angelo 1
RBI: Johnson, Kel 5 ; DiSpigna, Angelo 1 ; Posas, David 1
SH: Dockus, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dockus, Kyle 1 ; Yeager, RJ 1 ; Johnson, Kel 2 ; DiSpigna, Angelo 1 ; Knight, Bill 1 ; Crotty, Alex 1 ; Pinckney, Leyton 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Johnson Stays Hot in Loss to Georgia Tech
3/19/2019 9:47:00 PM | Baseball
Mercer defeated at home despite Kel Johnson’s two home runs
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Johnson, who starred for Georgia Tech from 2015-18, belted his 11th and 12th long balls of the season against his former squad and drove in five runs in the process. Mercer (11-11) fell to 2-2 against Peach State opponents with the defeat.
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Trailing 5-3 entering the fifth inning, Mercer allowed a seven-run outburst by the Yellow Jackets (14-7) that extended its deficit to nine. A solo home run by Angelo DiSpigna in the bottom of the sixth and Johnson's second home run of the night – a three-run shot – in the seventh pulled Mercer within seven runs. David Posas added an eighth-inning RBI single for Mercer's final offensive blow.
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Johnson's first round-tripper came in the third inning. Georgia Tech jumped ahead, 5-0, through two and a half frames against Mercer starting pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long. Eight pitchers made appearances for Mercer, including Jackson Kelley, Nick Spear and Holton McGaha, who combined to allow just one hit over three scoreless innings to end the game.
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Coach Gibson's Take
"I thought we were impressive offensively after stringing some good at bats together and, of course, Kel Johnson had an unbelievable night against his former team," said head coach Craig Gibson. "You can't say enough about Kel Johnson and the roll he's on right now.
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"Defensively, we have to be a little better, but overall there were bright spots for us tonight. I thought we pitched well against some of Georgia Tech's best bats. Tip your cap to them; Georgia Tech is a good offensive club that puts pressure on you. Hopefully we're ready to start our second season on Friday night."
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Records Update
» Mercer: 11-11
» Georgia Tech: 14-7
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Pitchers of Record
» Win: Amos Willingham (3-0)
» Loss: Sawyer Gipson-Long (2-3)
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Notables
» Eight Bears saw action on the mound Tuesday.
» Kel Johnson extended his reached base streak to 21 games.
» Johnson's 12 home runs lead the Southern Conference. He has six in his last four games.
» Alex Crotty and Johnson had multi-hit performances.
» After just one home run in his first 20 games, Angelo DiSpigna has two in his last pair.
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Up Next
Mercer opens Southern Conference play at home this weekend against UNCG, starting with a series-opening contest at 6 p.m. on Friday at OrthoGeorgia Park.
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Follow the Bears
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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