Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont baseball team (35-24, 17-13) defeated Mercer (38-19, 17-12) by a score of 6-4 to advance to the Atlantic Sun Conference Title Game for the first time since 2007. Senior captain Derek Hamblen (Plano, Texas) hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to win it for the Bruins.
The Bears tied the game for the second and final time of the day in the bottom of the eighth when a pinch hit single by Matthew Black made it 4-4. Belmont came up in the top of the ninth against Mercer closer JT Odom, who retired the Bruins in order in the previous inning.
Odom, who came into the game with a 1.62 ERA and allowed only two home runs in 50 innings this season, gave up his first hit of the game on a single through the infield by BU sophomore Josh Davis (Fayetteville, Ga.). Davis, mainly a starting pitcher for the Bruins, started only his third game in the field on Friday. His single in the ninth was one of two timely hits for Belmont. He also led off the seventh with a single and eventually scored the go-ahead run.
With Davis on base, Hamblen came to the plate with two outs. The left fielder jacked his 11 home run of the season over the left field wall, leaving no doubt. It was his second of the tournament as he also tallied a two-run jack against Stetson in the opening game. "I was thinking to put a good swing on a good pitch," Hamblen said of the game-winning home run. "Don't try to do too much and don't try to be a hero. The other guys have been picking me up all year, so I'm just glad I could do it for them here today."
The contest was far from over as we went to the bottom of the ninth with a 6-4 Belmont lead. Senior closer Jon Ivie (Summertown, Tenn.) came in to the game and gave up a leadoff single to Evan Boyd. After striking out Billy Burns, Joe Winker singled to give the Bears runners on first and second with First Team All-Atlantic Sun Third Baseman Jacob Tanis coming to the plate.
In one of the stranger plays of the season, it appeared that Tanis had simply flied out to right field, but after an appeal by the Belmont coaching staff the game was over. Nate Moorhouse, who was pinch running for Winker, rounded second thinking that the hit by Tanis was going to drop in for a hit. On his way back to first on the catch, the Mercer player failed to touch second base, and was called for the third and final out of the inning.
Belmont trailed for the first time of the tournament in this one as starting pitcher Nate Woods (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) gave up two runs in the first two innings. The right-hander weathered the storm though, giving the Bruins a solid five and one third innings, allowing only two earned runs on five hits, four strikeouts, and only one walk.
After junior Zac Mitchell (Cordova, Tenn.) hit his second home run of the season on a solo shot to right field, the Bruins trailed 2-1 in the third. Mercer extended its lead to two runs after a couple of singles gave the Bears a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning.
That was when senior Matt Zeblo (Raleigh, N.C.) continued his excellent tournament play and tied the game at 3-3. After Woods led off the sixth with a single through the infield, the Bruin catcher hit a towering homer over the left field wall. Zeblo, who came into today leading the tournament with four runs batted in, connected on his fourth extra base hit in the three days of the championships.
Belmont took its first lead of the game in the next inning after the aforementioned leadoff single by Davis led to the Bruins' fourth run of the game when junior Dylan Craig (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) drove him in on a fielder's choice to the short stop.
After Mercer tied it at 4-4, Hamblen homered, and Ivie closed it out, the Bruins finished with the 6-4 victory. Junior Garrett Fanchier (Lebanon, Tenn.) earned the victory after allowing only one run on one hit and striking out two in two and two thirds innings of relief. Ivie picked up his 12th save of the season, leaving him one shy of tying the Belmont single-season record. His 23 career saves are just two shy of the all-time career mark at BU.
The Bruins, who have now won a program-best 35 wins in 2011, become the first six seed to reach the Atlantic Sun Conference Title Game since Jacksonville back in 2003. The Dolphins defeated second seed Stetson by a score of 7-1 in that contest. The Bruin three game run is the first time a six seed has won its first three A-Sun Championship games since Central Florida did back in 1997.
"It shows a lot of great upperclassmen leadership," Head Coach Dave Jarvis said of the recent Belmont success. "Team captains Nate Woods and Derek Hamblen have grabbed a hold of this team, and the rest of the players have followed them in the pursuit of a championship."
Belmont will attempt to win its first Atlantic Sun Championship on Saturday. They will take on the team that comes out of the losers' bracket on Friday. Stetson and Jacksonville play at 3:00 p.m. with the winner playing against Mercer at 7:00 p.m. Friday night. The winner of that game will play the Bruins for the championship at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. If Belmont loses the first game, the two teams will play another contest 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one.
Click here for post-game interviews with Dave Jarvis, Derek Hamblen, and Matt Zeblo
Click here for photo gallery of Belmont vs. Mercer
Click here for Atlantic Sun Insider: Belmont's Run Highlights A-Sun Depth
