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5/21/2009 - BASEBALL
Bruins Rally Past Bears to Advance to Friday
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Box Score
DELAND, Fla. - Trailing by one entering the last of the eighth, Belmont batted around in plating three runs to oulast Mercer, 6-5, in the opening game of the 2009 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship from Stetson’s Melching Field at Conrad Park.
The inning began with a hit-by-pitch to Mark Noth, and Vinny Casha pinch-hit for Matt Hamann, lying down a sacrifice bunt. Bear reliever Dan April’s toss went wide setting up runners at first and second. After a pop out, A-Sun Freshman of the Year Dylan Craig delivered a tying single and Daniel Wagner put the Bruins back in front with a single of his own, scoring Casha. Brandon McCall added a sacrifice fly, increasing the Belmont lead to 6-4.
In the top of the ninth, a throwing error, a single and a sacrifice bunt set up Mercer with second and third and one out for the lead-off hitter Nick DiMauro against the Belmont closer, Jimmy Stanley. DiMauro grounded to short stop Packy Elkins who cut down Joe Winker at third while Casey Stuart scored. Stanley coaxed a fly out for the 27th and final out of the contest and earned his eighth save.
Belmont (29-28) dented the plate first, posting single-run frames in the second and fourth innings. In the second, Packy Elkins drove home Derek Hamblen with a two-out single. Two innings later, again with two outs, Hamann knocked home Matt Zeblo with a single to right.
Mercer tied the game at two with runs in the fifth and sixth and took the lead one inning later on a Billy Burns single. Belmont responded in its half of the seventh when Wagner plated Craig, who doubled, with a base hit. The Bears regained the lead and again Burns found himself in the middle of the rally. His double opened the inning and two outs later Jacob Tanis singled home his freshman teammate.
For Mercer (23-23), Steve Karwatt turned in a perfect day at the plate, collecting a pair of singles plus three walks in his five plate appearances. Freshmen Tanis and Burns each picked up three hits with Tanis driving in two while Burns scored twice.
Wagner finished the day for the Bruins with three hits and two RBI. Craig and Derek Wiley each picked up two hits.
Neither starting pitcher, Mercer’s Lath Guyer or Belmont’s Brian Kelley, factored in the decision. Both allowed only two runs – Guyer in 6.1 innings and Kelley in 5.1. Jon Ivie earned the win to level his record at 3-3 while Dan April took the loss. He finished the year with a 3-5 mark.
The Bruins move into the double-elimination portion of the bracket. They will face Jacksonville, the Championship’s top seed, at 9:30 a.m. on Friday. The Bruins took two of three against the Dolphins during the regular season, winning the final two of their series in early April.
Action continues tonight with third-seeded Stetson facing ETSU, the sixth seed, at 7:00 p.m. in the second of the single-elimination games. The Hatters took three from the Buccaneers at home earlier in the month, outscoring the Bucs, 36-11. Lipscomb, the defending champion, waits as the reward for the winning club at 1:00 p.m. on Friday.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
