Date Posted: 5/23/2007

DeLand, Fla. - The No. 2 seed Mercer Bears defeated the No. 5 seed Gardner-Webb Bulldogs 5-4 in the opening game of the 2007 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship presented by Progress Energy. John Dortch scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Casey Stuart pinch-hit and put down the suicide squeeze bunt bringing home Dortch. Matt Tafazzoli was brought in by the Bulldogs to prevent the the run to come in from third, but Stuart's bunt rolled right under Tafazzoli's glove. Mercer closer, Cory Gearrin closed out the Bulldogs pitching the final 1.1 scoreless innings for the win.

Mercer will play the winner of No. 3 seed Belmont and No. 4 seed Jacksonville at 7 p.m. Thursday. Gardner-Webb will play the loser of No. 1 seed Stetson and No. 6 seed Lipscomb in an elimination game at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Mercer's Brantley New pitched out of a first inning jam when GWU loaded the bases with one out, but was unable to bring a run home. The Bulldogs broke through in the third inning thanks to errors by the Mercer middle infielders. Jamall Kinard reached on shortstop Billy Shaughnessy's error and advanced to second on Nick DiMauro's drop. Kinard came home on a Nate MacDonald single. Second team all-conference second baseman, GWU's Matt Rizzuto ended the inning with a groundout to the pitcher, stranding two baserunners.

The Bears answered in the bottom of the third inning. Matt Crawford started the rally with a single. Eric Renfroe doubled to right center to put runners on second and third for catcher, Josh Thompson. Thompson brought Crawford home for his 50th RBI of the season to tie the game 1-1 with a sacrifice fly to center.

Gardner-Webb worked a couple two out walks in the fourth inning, but Jay McConnell flew out to right to end the inning, stranding Jon Ahearn and Jamall Kinard.

Errors continued to hurt Mercer in the fifth inning as third baseman Steven Karwatt aired his throw over first baseman Mike Armstrong's outstretched arms, allowing Nate MacDonald to score the Bulldogs second unearned run of the game to take a 2-1 lead.

Steven Karwatt made up for his fielding error by leading off the bottom of the fifth with a single to left field. Nick DiMauro sacrificed Karwatt over to second, and Eric Renfroe drove him in to tie the game with a two out RBI single to center. Renfroe then stole his 11th base of the season before Josh Thompson popped out to shortstop to end the inning.

Jon Ahearn attempted to answer Eric Renfroe's stolen base, but was gunned down by Josh Thompson on his 21st attempt of the season. The Bulldogs entered the game with a conference leading 117 steals. Jamall Kinard reached base for the fourth time today with his third walk of the game before New induced Jay McConnell into an inning ending fielder's choice.

Steven Karwatt came through again in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two out rbi single to left field bringing home Mike Armstrong. Daniel Cooke's throw to the plate was knocked away on Armstrong's slide allowing Billy Shaughnessy to score giving the Bears a 4-2 lead.

Brantley New's day ended when Gardner-Webb loaded the bases in the eighth with one out. Jason Lowey came into the bases loaded jam and proceeded to strike out Jamall Kinard for the second out. Jay McConnell came through with the big hig, sending the two ball-two strike pitch into center field to bring in two and tie the game at 4-4. New finished the day going 7.1 innings, allowing 4 runs, 3 earned, striking out 4 and walking 6.

John Dortch led off the Mercer eighth inning with a double to the right field wall off Webster Beal. He was then sacrificed to third base by Billy Shaughnessy. Casey Stuart was called to pinch hit by Craig Gibson for Andrew Einart, and Gardner-Webb countered by bringing in right-hander Matt Tafazzoli for Beal. Stuart then executed the suicide squeen play to perfection, rolling the bunt just under the pitcher's glove, bringing home John Dortch to take the 5-4 lead.

Mercer improves their all-time A-Sun tournament record to 25-15. Gardner-Webb drops to 1-7 in A-Sun tourney play.

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 • Championship Coverage