Mercer baseball’s rally falls short in 4-3 loss to Georgia Tech

ATLANTA, Ga. (MERCER ATHLETICS) – The Mercer University baseball team saw its three-game winning streak against Georgia Tech come to an end, as the Bears’ rally fell short in a 4-3 loss on Tuesday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets’ Daniel Spingola came up with the game’s decisive play in the bottom of the seventh, as the senior broke up a 1-1 game with a three-run blast to left center to hand Georgia Tech a 4-1 advantage.

Mercer responded in the eighth though, as Matt Meeder scored on a throwing error to ignite the late-inning rally. Nate Moorhouse drove in Jackson Ware two batters later to trim the deficit to one, 4-3. However, the Bears were unable to get any closer, as they fell to an in-state opponent for the first time in their last four contests.

“It was a great baseball game tonight,” said head coach Craig Gibson. “You have to tip your cap, their senior made a big play and hit the ball out of the park. I’m very proud of our club for continuing to fight though. We got behind late, but we played great defensively and kept fighting until the end.”

Ware led the Bears, who had eight hits tonight, with his six multiple-hit performance in his last eight contests. Devin Bonin and Moorhouse each added run-scoring singles for Mercer, while Conrad Cornell recorded the team’s only extra-base hit.

Mitchell Wade was tagged with his first loss of the season, after being credited with two earned runs on one hit in an inning of work.

Mercer struck first with a run in the third frame, as Cornell started the one-out rally with a double in the left center gap. He crossed the plate two batters later, after Bonin beat the throw to first for an infield single and a 1-0 advantage.

Georgia Tech knotted the game in the bottom of the fourth, as A.J. Murray hit a solo shot over the wall in left center to deadlock the two teams at 1-1.

The Bears were in position to win their 10th game in the last 13 contests thanks to DJ Johnson’s best outing of the season. The senior scattered four hits over five innings of work, allowing just one run and striking out three batters.

Mercer returns to Claude Smith Field this weekend, as it continues Southern Conference play with a three-game series against Western Carolina. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, April 10.