May 20, 2010
Box
Score
MACON, Ga. - Belmont baseball
lost a high-powered conference series opener against Mercer, 15-8,
on Thursday night at Claude Smith Field.
Fourteen of the first 15 runs
between both teams were driven in as a result of homeruns. National
RBI leader Jacob Tanis set the tone by driving in three runs in the
first inning on his 20th homerun and 81st run batted in of the
season. Tanis finished 3-for-5, adding two runs scored.
Junior Matt Zeblo followed
suit for the Bruins in the second inning with a two-run homerun,
driving in Tim
Egerton who was hit by a pitch in the previous at bat. Later in
the second, freshman Jared Breen gave the
Bruins their only lead of the game at 4-3 with his first career
homerun, driving in Mark Noth who reached
on a walk.
But Mercer continued a streak
of hitting one homerun in the first four innings to take a 9-4 lead
after four. Designated hitter Tyler McCarty played a big part in
the Bears' run, hitting two homeruns with four runs batted in and
four runs scored in the game.
Freshman relief pitcher Josh Davis
entered the game in the fourth innings and lasted 4 1/3 innings,
giving up seven runs with a game-high of four strikeouts. No other
pitcher for either team had more than one strikeout on Thursday
night.
Offensively, the Bruins didn't
have an answer for the Bears until the seventh inning when Nate Woods added to
his single-season homerun and RBI records at BU with a two-run
homerun - his 19th and 75th of the season, respectively. Dylan Craig was
driven in by Woods after reaching with an opposite-field double to
left field.
Belmont followed up in the
eighth inning with a bases-loaded rally resulting in two runs.
Davis helped his cause with a bases-loaded RBI-single with no outs
after the first three runners reached base. Breen added his third
run batted in of the game with a sacrifice fly to put the Bruins
down four at 12-8 with the top of the order due up. Dylan Craig walked to
load the bases again to put the tying run at the plate. But
subsequent fly-outs to center field from Derek Hamblen and
Woods ended the inning with three runners on base.
Mercer added three more runs
in the eighth to put the Bruins away, 15-8.
Belmont and Mercer hit a
combined eight homeruns on Thursday night.
Nate Woods (5-6)
received the loss after giving up seven earned runs through three
innings in his 13th start of the season. Matt McCall (6-2) lasted 5
1/3 innings, allowing five hits and four runs, to earn the
win.
Belmont (26-26, 12-12 A-Sun)
snaps a five-game conference winning streak and needs two more wins
to ensure a berth in the Atlantic Sun Tournament next week. Mercer
(32-21, 15-10 A-Sun) clinches an A-Sun Tournament berth with its
12th win in the last 14 games.
