The game does not matter as far as making the conference tournament - UCF is in and Mercer is out. However, seedings are at stake. The 2 run loss by UCF could put them as a #3 seed if they lose in Game #3 and FAU wins out against Georgia State.
UCF has won 2 of the last 4 games in the 9th inning thanks to power hitting and clutch bullpen performances. Two runs is hardly out of reach with 3 innings to play.
The Atlantic Sun has made some improvements such as going to 9 inning games - but there are still some things that are not done appropriately.
While this incident may only affect seedings - a cancelled SERIES in 2003 put UCF out of the Atlantic Sun tournament. While UCF needed a sweep that they probably would not have earned - that is why we play the games.
For those remaining in this conference, where baseball is the gem - Demand more.
Bears Win Rain Shortened Game Two over UCF, 7-5
MACON, Ga. – Mercer scored four times in the second inning and held on until the heavens opened before the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the Bears a 7-5 win over Atlantic Sun Conference rival UCF on Friday.
Dee Brown had a huge day at the plate for UCF (40-15, 19-10) going 3-for-3 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI. With his performance today Brown set UCF records for career hits and RBI’s. Brown also tied the single season home run record at UCF with 17.
Ty Megahee and Sean McCahill each had two hits for Mercer (27-26, 11-18). Brandon Reichert had a big two RBI single in the Bears four run second inning.
Marshall Bernhard got the action started with a single through the right side of the infield. Matt Horwath struck out looking, before Dee Brown stepped up and homered to left-center field, giving the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead.
Mercer answered in the bottom of the second when Shawn Barrett was hit by a pitch with one out. Christian Grossmann the singled to left-field moving Barrett into scoring position with one out.
After Mark Cimini went down swinging, Ty Megahee roped an RBI single to right scoring Barrett. A balk allowed both Grossmann and Megahee to move into scoring position. Eric Renfroe drew a two out walk to load the bases. Sean McCahill hit a roller between short and third for an RBI infield single.
Brandon Reichert laced a two RBI single to right, driving in McCahill and Renfroe.
Mark Cimini ripped an RBI double down the right-field line in the bottom of the third, scoring Josh Thompson who reached on an error.
The Bears tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth. UCF scored two in the top of the sixth off Mercer starter Hunter Abercrombie, but could get no closer.
The game was officially called complete at the end of the top of the sixth inning.
UCF Head coach Jay Bergman was ejected in the bottom of the fifth inning and will have to sit out tommorrow's final game.
Mercer and UCF will close out the regular season on Saturday with a single nine inning game, first pitch is set for 12:00 noon.
I will not miss A-Sun baseball policies.
What's up with Bergman having to sit out tomorrow?
Hey A-Sun you cancelled the game - not Bergman.
He shouldn't have sit out of another game - and if he did, it should only be for 2 and 1/2 innings (since you gave Mercer the win - btm. of 9th wasn't necessary).
This is like that UCF and Stetson player each sitting out a game after the scuffle in DeLand. Conference rule - not NCAA.
In any sport in the A-Sun, if a coach or a player is ejected from a game, they must sit out the next game.
Great, we lost a 6 inning game.
I can't wait to leave this little league conference.
Y'all are starting to sound like Louisville fans! :)
Just try to watch the conference trashing, please....
SouthGAEagle Wrote:Y'all are starting to sound like Louisville fans! :)
Just try to watch the conference trashing, please....
Louisville sounds like jerks because they are for no reason.
We aren't the only fans who have legitimate gripes with the A Sun. First off, we outgrew it. It's great for Stetson, Mercer, etc. but a state school with 44,000 kids and a growing sports budget has no business being in the A Sun.
Secondly, for a conference that "prides" itself on baseball, it sure tries to destroy that. The entire double header 7 inning game alone was enough to make me want to vomit. Now they have this rule where a game is called after 6 with NO intention of finishing the last innings. I won't even mention the bull$hit the conference pulled on UCF in 2003 erasing the entire Mercer series.
The Knight Time Wrote:We aren't the only fans who have legitimate gripes with the A Sun. First off, we outgrew it. It's great for Stetson, Mercer, etc. but a state school with 44,000 kids and a growing sports budget has no business being in the A Sun.
Agreed... and as I've said before, I'm glad to see y'all coming into C-USA. I think it will be a much better fit all around.
The Knight Time Wrote:Secondly, for a conference that "prides" itself on baseball, it sure tries to destroy that. The entire double header 7 inning game alone was enough to make me want to vomit. Now they have this rule where a game is called after 6 with NO intention of finishing the last innings.
The only reasoning I can figure is because the series was supposed to end today... there might be some problem with extending 2 games into an additional day? I agree that I would've liked to see the game played out.
The Knight Time Wrote:I won't even mention the bull$hit the conference pulled on UCF in 2003 erasing the entire Mercer series.
Of course by "not mentioning it," you did mention it....
But even if you didn't, st already did.
I'm really not hostile towards the A-Sun (as is probably obvious). It did everything we asked it to at the level that it could.
- An opportunity to go to the NCAA tournament in every sport that it offered
- It offered every sport that we have except rowing
- It's strengths were aligned with ours - Baseball
- It provided a local rival - Stetson
- Great cities - Nashville,Atlanta and Jacksonville are obviously great trips. Dothan, not so much lol.
We are more grateful for football conference affiliation because life as an independent is still fresh in Knight fan's minds. (I would think MAC haters are mostly newbies). Scheduling and competing as an independent in basketball and baseball would have never afforded us the opportunity to become attractive to Conference USA and the Big East.
Finally, while I am grateful for the last few years, I agree with the problems. I hope for the leagues sake - they shape up to help enhance it's membership for what could be a top division I baseball and golf conference in the next few years. And please oh please find someone to make your commercials and Inside the A-Sun tv show. Maybe make it a high school a/v senior project? It's painful to watch lol.
Wow am I politically correct or what!?
But anyway - like I said - this weekend is a shame. The fact that it is the "pride and joy" of the A-Sun, Mercer, just kind of adds to it. If you haven't seen the stats that a JSU or GSU fan compiled regarding the average number of basketball fouls a team had on the year - and then the number of fouls at Mercer....and then Mercers average home vs away...let's just say it was pretty amazing.
FAU leads 1-0 - if they win they'll have the 2 spot.
Here's the interesting thing - it doesn't matter. If FAU loses:
#1 Troy
#6 GWU
#2 UCF
#5 Stetson
#3 FAU
#4 GSU
If FAU wins:
#1 Troy
#6 GWU
#2 FAU
#5 GSU
#3 UCF
#4 Stetson
I never would've thought we'd take 2 out of 3 (OK, 1 3/4 out of 3) from UCF!
Way to go Bears!!!!!!
Are you UCF fans kidding me???? It said the game was shortened because of RAIN. The A-Sun is little league because they called an official game on account of rain? Yea I've never heard of that happening in the MLB... they must be little league too. haha, give me a break!!
Don't agree.
The normal procedure is to make up the game on the next day. It happened to both Belmont and Lipscomb that weekend.
The shortened game was on Day 2 of a 3 day series. Saturday was happening either way, so all that would have had to be done is play 3 innnings at 11 and start the 3rd game at 1.
If UCF had come back to win in the three innings remaining, we would have finished a different seed in the conference tournament five days away. No other if's or variables.
As it's been mentioned - the incident was an unfriendly reminder of when UCF missed the tournament (2003) when they would have finished in the Top 6 with some wins over Mercer but the series was cancelled and not rescheduled even though there were several weeks left in the season.
Anyway - Mercerfan, you get what you settle for. So good luck. But as I said before - demand more.
st932253 Wrote:The shortened game was on Day 2 of a 3 day series. Saturday was happening either way, so all that would have had to be done is play 3 innnings at 11 and start the 3rd game at 1.
Actually it was on day 2 of a 2 day series.... the game that was cancelled was the first game of the Friday double header.
st - "It offered every sport that we have except rowing"
You must mean rowing, and, oh yeah, football.
lol - yeah, but we were playing IAA ball when we joined.
But good point - wasn't even thinking of it in that light.