Two late runs made the difference as the Mercer Bears edged the VMI Keydets, 7-6, in the middle game of a three-game Southern Conference series Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Va. Mercer (28-18, 13-6) clinched the series victory with the win.
Saturday’s contest was deadlocked, 5-5, and was a battle of bullpens after both starters exited before the end of the sixth inning. VMI’s Josh Worthley worked out of trouble in the sixth, but threw a wild pitch to allow the go-ahead run to score in the seventh. Howard Joe hit a solo home run off Taylor Edens in the eighth for a crucial insurance run, as Collin Fleischer took Morgan Pittman yard in the ninth to account for the final margin.
Worthley’s (0-1) wild pitch made him the tough luck loser, as he worked 1 2/3 innings and allowed just one baserunner. Carter Varga (1-0) pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning to pick up the win for the Bears, while Pittman recorded a four-inning save, his third of the season.
Mercer took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but VMI (15-25, 8-9) jumped in front in the bottom half. Matt Winn led off with a double and one out later, Will Connerley homered to left for his 10th long ball of the year to put VMI up, 2-1.
The lead was short lived, as Matt Meeder led off the Mercer second with a single and moved to second on a bunt. Kyle Lewis then hit a sharp grounder up the middle that Jordan Tarsovich knocked down, but the ball caromed away for a RBI single to tie the game, 2-2.
The Keydets went back in front in the third on a RBI single by David Geary and pushed that lead to 5-2 in the fourth, when Thomas Stallings homered over the scoreboard in left center. The two-run shot was Stallings’ eighth of the season.
Once again, the lead was short lived. A Meeder RBI double and a two-run shot by Lewis in the fifth tied the game, 5-5, and turned the game to the bullpens.
Bonin led off the seventh inning with a walk and Lewis bunted him to second. He advanced to third on a infield out, but Worthley uncorked a wild pitch to score Bonin and put Mercer in front, 6-5.
VMI coach Jonathan Hadra turned to closer Taylor Edens in the eighth, with the deficit still one, and Joe homered to left to double the Mercer margin to two, 7-5.
That was the score going to the ninth, when Fleischer led off with a home run to pull VMI within one once again, 7-6. The Keydets went in order after the long ball, however, as Mercer hung on for the win.
Neither starter figured in the decision, as Grant Papelian was hit hard for five runs on seven hits in four innings and Andrew Woods allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 frames.
Offensively, Lewis went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs to pace the Bears, while Fleischer went 3 for 4 with his second home run of the year. It was the first career three-hit game for the Keydet freshman.
VMI baseball will return to action Sunday, as the Keydets and Mercer wrap up their three-game series at Gray-Minor Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
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