Late Inning Runs Lift Mercer Over Utah, 6-4

Friday, March 25

Salt Lake City, UT

8 p.m. ET

Mercer University

19-4

University of Utah

13-8-1

Mercer

Utah

Photo by: James Thomas

3/25/2022 11:43:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Bears take first-of-three in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Mercer used four runs across the sixth and seventh innings to take the opening game in their first-ever series with a Pac-12 school, taking Utah down by a 6-4 score.

Jackson Kelley (3-0) picked up the win behind 4.0 innings of work where he yielded just a hit and a singular walk and fanned six. Utah's Zac McCleve (0-1) is charged with the loss after just 1.2 innings tossed, where he allowed two runs, one being earned.

Utah got on the board in the home half of the first when Landon Frei crossed home off a TJ Clarkson ground-rule double to left center on a 1-1 count with two away. Mercer leveled things when Jozesf Rohrbacher's single to right center drove in Antonio Brown in the ensuing trip to the dish.

STRIKE 3 CALLED!!!! @Jacksonjk03 gets 'Em looking to strand the runners!! Bears on top heading to 9️⃣ Mercer 5, Utah 4 pic.twitter.com/JSrBjUHDva — Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) March 26, 2022

Between the second and fifth innings, the hosts tacked on three to retake their advantage. Utah's lead was short-lived as the Bears plated three in the sixth to tie it at 4. A Trevor Austin single drove in Collin Price and moved Angelo DiSpigna 90 feet from second to third to cut the deficit to two. DiSpigna scored off a Rohrbacher double to left to further trim the lead. A fielder's choice brought Austin home to tie the game.

A one-bagger to center field by DiSpigna scored Bill Knight to give the Bears the lead in the seventh.

The bottom of the eighth saw the Utes load the bases, but Jackson Kelley fanned Carter Booth to strand all three runners and get out unscathed into the ninth.

Mercer doubled the lead to 6-4 in the top of the ninth when DiSpigna doubled to straightaway center and drove in Bill Knight with just one retired.

Utah is the third Power Five school Mercer has defeated, following midweek wins over ranked Florida State and Georgia Tech.

These sides will meet tomorrow in the second game in a set of three. First pitch from Smith's Ballpark is set for 4 p.m. ET.