Mercer Falls to Samford in SoCon Tourney

Thursday, May 27

Greenville, S.C.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

35-21

Samford

33-22

Mercer

Samford

Photo by: Southern Conference

5/28/2021 1:55:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

The Bears dropped their first game of the tournament on Thursday

By: Travis Rae

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Mercer baseball team dropped a heartbreaker to open the Southern Conference Tournament. In a game that stretched into early Friday morning, the Bears were defeated by Samford 10-8.

Bill Knight, Garett Delano and Trevor Austin led the Bears with two hits apiece. Knight and Delano drove in two runs while Austin and Le Bassett each picked up one RBI. Jackson Kelley struck out nine for the Bears and only allowed two runs in the game.

After a 1-2-3 inning for the Bears, Samford's offense started clicking in the bottom half. The Bulldogs' next two hitters reached on singles putting runners on the corners. Tyler McManus drew a walk, which loaded the bases with one out. Bear's starter Jackson Kelley locked in and recorded back-to-back strikeouts ending the inning and keeping the game scoreless.

E1 | Mercer 0, Samford 0@Jacksonjk03 picks up his third K of the game ending the first inning. #WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/Ici66ccqrD
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 28, 2021

Mercer struck first in the contest, as Angelo DiSpigna led off the inning with a walk. Following the first out of the inning, reigning SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Trevor Austin followed with a single putting two on. Bill Knight came up to the plate and fell behind 0-2. After he fouled-one off, he singled up the middle scoring one and putting Mercer ahead, 1-0.

The Bulldogs put the leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the third inning before Kelley got a fly out to center for the first out. With a 1-1 count on Ryan Crockett, Kelley got him to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Samford tied the game in the bottom of the fourth after the sixth strikeout of the game for Kelley, Towns King hit a solo home run tying the game.

In the top of the fifth inning, Colby Thomas single through the left side, opening the inning. He moved to second on a sac bunt and third on a wild pitch. After the second out of the frame, Austin came up with his second hit of the game, an RBI single up the middle putting Mercer ahead 2-1. Austin went to second on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single by Knight making it 3-1 in favor of the Bears.

Tricky Trev with the RBI single! Bears back in front.#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/WXJmTFjKRG
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 28, 2021

Samford added a run in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Max Pinto. Mercer came back in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases. Le Bassett stepped in as a pinch hitter and drew a walk making it 4-2, Mercer.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Samford scored four runs on three hits in the frame. With the bases loaded, Sonny DiChiara walked scoring one. Tyler McManus followed with a bases-clearing triple, putting Samford ahead 6-4.

In the top of the seventh, Mercer's Knight led off the inning getting hit by a pitch. RJ Yeager followed with a double to left field putting runners on second and third. Delano followed with a double of his own, that plated two and tied the game at 6-6. After back-to-back walks, the Bears took the lead on a double-play making it 7-6.

TIE BALL GAME!@Garett__Delano with a 2-run double!#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/DospdN0Ldb
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 28, 2021

Mercer extended the lead back to two in the top of the eighth inning. Bassett drew a walk to start the inning and was pinch ran for by Antonio Brown. After the first out of the frame, the Bulldogs tried to pick off Brown and threw the ball away and he went from first to third. He came into score on a wild pitch making it 8-6.

The Bulldogs answered back in the bottom of the eighth as they tied the game. With the bases loaded with no outs, Tommy Green tallied two strikeouts. It looked as if Mercer would get out of the inning but King came up with a two-run single tying the game. Green got the next batter to ground out ending the inning.

Another HUGE K by Tommy Green#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/m3Lo9f2Wxw
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 28, 2021

Mercer looked as if they would take the lead in the top of the ninth. Delano was hit by a pitch to start the inning and went to second on a sac bunt. Following the bunt, Brandon Michie drew a walk putting two on. After a wild pitch advanced the runners, DiSpigna was intentionally walked loading the bases with two outs. However, the Bears would leave the bases loaded.

After the first out of the ninth, Pinto singled to the pitcher putting the winning run on base. Brooks Carlson followed with a home run to left-center giving the Bulldogs a 10-8 win.

Hear from Coach Gibson

.@CraigGibson_MU talks about the opening game loss to Samford in the SoConTournament #WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/um6qMmYqPe
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 28, 2021

Records Update
» Mercer: 35-21
» Samford: 33-22

Pitchers of Record
» Win: Chase Isbell (4-2)
» Loss: Tommy Green (4-4)

Notables
» Jackson Kelley tallied nine strikeouts in the contest against Samford. This was one off his career-high that he set on March 20, 2021, against Bradley.
» Bill Knight and Garett Delano led the Bears with two RBI and two hits each.
» Mercer tallied 13 strikeouts in the game with each pitcher recording at least one.
» The Bears had two doubles in the contest, both coming in the three-run seventh inning.
» The Orange & Black left nine runners on base in the game.

Up Next
» Mercer: vs. Wofford (3:30 p.m., Friday, May 28 at Fluor Field (SoCon Tournament)
» Samford: vs. Western Carolina (7 p.m., Friday, May 28 at Fluor Field (SoCon Tournament)

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.