Georgia Tech rallies in the ninth to stun Mercer, 9-7

MACON, Ga. (MERCER ATHLETICS) – The Mercer University baseball team saw a three-run lead in the ninth inning slip away, as Georgia Tech shocked a record-breaking crowd of 1,567 at Claude Smith Field with a five-run rally to record a 9-7 victory on Wednesday night.

The Bears (29-19) appeared to be headed to their 30th win of the season, after erasing a 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the eighth. Mercer loaded the bases thanks to three walks, setting up Devin Bonin’s heroics with two outs. The senior drove 0-1 pitch over the wall in right center, pushing the Bears out in front, 7-4, with his second grand slam of the season.

However, Georgia Tech (30-17) was not ready to concede the loss. The Yellow Jackets put together four straight hits to start the ninth inning, pulling within one, 7-6, on Matt Gonzalez’s two-run single up the middle. Kel Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game moments later, before Arden Pabst’s single down the left field line plated two runs to put Georgia Tech up for good, 9-7.

Mercer tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, as Jackson Ware started the effort with a lead-off single. Danny Edgeworth’s infield single one batter later put the tying run on base, but Georgia Tech’s ace Zac Ryan escaped trouble with back-to-back outs for his ninth win of the year.

The Bears reached double-figure hits for the seventh straight game with 11 hits on the night, while also matching a season-high with eight walks. Bonin’s posted a team-leading three hits and tied a career-high with four RBIs. Ware reached base four times in the game with two hits and two walks, while Edgeworth finished 2-for-4 and one walk.

Mercer’s pitching staff held Georgia Tech to just four runs on eight hits over the first eight innings, but blew a lead in the ninth inning for just the first time this season after coming into the contest with a perfect 24-0 mark when leading after eight frames. Morgan Pittman was tagged with the loss, his second of the year, after surrendering the game’s final two runs.

The Bears got off to a quick start for the fourth straight game, as Matt Meeder led off the contest for Mercer with his first career home run, a solo shot to right field, for an early 1-0 advantage.

Georgia Tech answered in the second though, grabbing a one-run lead, 2-1, on Ryan Peurifoy’s two-run blast to left center. The Yellow Jackets added another run in the third, as Gonzalez’s hit a two-out RBI single through the left side for a 3-1 advantage.

Kyle Lewis continued his recent tear with his fourth home run in as many games, as the solo shot cut the deficit in half, 3-2, after three innings of play. The Bears went on to tie the game two innings later thanks to Trey Truitt’s bases-loaded walk that put the two teams on even terms, 3-3.

After a missed opportunity by Mercer in the bottom of the sixth, Georgia Tech took advantage in the seventh. The Yellow Jackets utilized a well-timed hit-and-run to score Connor Justus from first base on Wade Bailey’s double in the right center gap for a 4-3 lead before Bonin’s grand slam set up the wild finish.

The Bears head into the bye week in their conference schedule and will be off until next Tuesday, when they travel to Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. to take on the Crimson Tide of Alabama. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.