Mercer baseball team splits with VMI

VMI overcame a three-run deficit to take the second game of Saturday's doubleheader over Mercer by the score of 4-3. The Keydets scored three times in the eighth inning to tie the score and took advantage of a Mercer error to score again in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Jake Huggins delivered the game-winner.

Mercer won the first game of the 10-6 behind the strong pitching of Ryan Askew and a grand slam from Hunter Bening.

The Bears are 21-15 overall and 7-4 in Southern Conference play. VMI is 17-22 and 2-9.

FOUR WHO MATTERED

Connor Herd: The sophomore left-hander pitched 5-1/3 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks and left after giving up a double in the sixth inning.

Kyle Lewis: The junior gave Mercer the lead in the sixth inning with a solo homer that just cleared the left-field fence after going 1-for-3 in the first game.

Askew: The junior improved to 3-2 by going seven innings and striking out three in the first game.

Trey Truitt: The sophomore went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI in the first game.

TURNING POINT

Mercer was cruising toward a Saturday sweep and a series win, but the bullpen could not hold VMI down in the eighth. Colin Fleischer delivered a two-run double but was thrown out at third. But Matt Pita hit a game-tying home run. A key error in the ninth gave VMI a runner on second, and Huggins delivered a run scoring single to give VMI the split.

NEXT UP

The two teams wrap up their series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Mercer baseball team splits with VMI ."