WCU downs Mercer to force winner-take-all title game

GREENVILLE, S.C. – No. 2 seed Western Carolina got a gutsy pitching performance from left-hander Bryan Sammons to down No. 1 seed Mercer, 4-2, and force a winner-take-all title game later Sunday at the Southern Conference Baseball Championship at Fluor Field.

The teams will meet again at 5 p.m. to decide who claims the SoCon title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. Western Carolina (29-29) is seeking its record 10th title and first since 2003, while Mercer (38-22) will try for its second straight. The Bears, who suffered their first SoCon tournament loss since joining the league last year, could become the first back-to-back champion since The Citadel took titles in 1998 and 1999.

Sammons, who was rocked for six runs in two innings on Wednesday against Wofford, stepped up when the Catamounts needed him most, throwing 136 pitches over 7-plus innings in keeping one of the top offenses in the league in check in a must-win game. Sammons (8-3) allowed just two runs on eight hits and five walks, striking out seven, including two-time defending SoCon Player of the Year Kyle Lewis twice with a runner on base.

Colton Davis relieved Sammons with one on and nobody out in the eighth and needed just two pitches to get out of the frame, fielding a comeback grounder to start a 1-6-3 double play and getting a groundout to second to end any attempt at a rally.

Davis nailed down his second save of the season the following inning thanks in part to an outstanding defensive play behind him. The Bears brought the tying run to the plate three times after a leadoff walk to Hunter Bening, but Davis struck out the next two batters and got a sliding grab from center fielder Garrett Brown on Danny Edgeworth’s well-struck ball to the gap in right-center to end the game with the dangerous Lewis on deck.

The Catamounts jumped on Mercer starter Josh Knies (3-2) for a run in the first when Bryce Bowman drew a two-out walk and Matt Smith doubled down the right-field line to knock him in.

Western Carolina added to its lead in the fourth, stringing together five straight one-out hits to plate three runs. With runners on second and third, a wild pitch allowed Smith to score, and Kramer Ferrell followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Another single put runners at first and second for Reece Strong, who singled through the ride side to score Ferrell.

Mercer scored twice in the bottom of the frame to cut its deficit in half but ran itself out of a chance for more. With the bases loaded and two out, designated hitter Jose Hernandez dumped a single into shallow right to score Charlie Madden and Jackson Ware, who had singled earlier in the frame. Western Carolina limited the damage, however, as right fielder Bowman gunned down Bening trying to go first-to-third on the play.

Sammons worked out of trouble again in the fifth, getting a strikeout with the bases loaded after hitting a batter and walking two others.

Freshman reliever Taylor Lobus kept the Bears in it with a career-long 5-inning effort, allowing just two hits and two walks after coming on to start the fifth. After allowing consecutive hits and a walk to start his day, Lobus retired 14 of the next 15 batters to give Mercer a chance at the comeback.

The Bears also kept things close with some solid defense, turning a double play in the second and seeing catcher Madden throw out two base-runners trying to steal. The Catamounts had been 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts in the tournament entering the game.

Smith was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI to lead Western Carolina at the plate, while Madden, Bening and Jackson Ware had two hits each for Mercer.

May 24 (Tuesday)
SoCon Championship (SDN)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 1: #8 The Citadel 3, #9 VMI 2 (10 innings)

May 25 (Wednesday)
SoCon Championship (SDN)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 2: #4 Furman 3, #5 ETSU 0
Game 3: #1 Mercer 13, #8 The Citadel 1 (7 innings)
Game 4: #2 Western Carolina 10, #7 Wofford 9
Game 5: #6 Samford 8, #3 UNCG 5

May 26 (Thursday)
SoCon Championship (SDN)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 6: #5 ETSU 4, #8 The Citadel 2
Game 7: #3 UNCG 9, #7 Wofford 6
Game 8: #1 Mercer 6, #4 Furman 1
Game 9: #2 Western Carolina 14, #6 Samford 4

May 27 (Friday)
SoCon Championship (SDN)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 10: #6 Samford 12, #5 ETSU 11 (10 innings)
Game 11: #4 Furman 15, #3 UNCG 10

May 28 (Saturday)
SoCon Championship (SDN)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 12: #1 Mercer 9, #2 Western Carolina 8
Game 13: #6 Samford 2, #4 Furman 0
Game 14: #2 Western Carolina 7, #6 Samford 4

May 29 (Sunday)
SoCon Championship (ESPN3)
(Fluor Field; Greenville, S.C.)
Game 15: #2 Western Carolina 4, #1 Mercer 2
Game 16: #1 Mercer vs. #2 Western Carolina 5 p.m.

-www.SoConSports.com-