DANVILLE, Ky. - The Birmingham-Southern Panthers pushed across four runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat conference opponent Centre 13-9 and gather their 10th conference victory of the season.
After a scoreless first inning BSC struck first.
Brian Williams led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a ground out the very next hitter. Williams then came in to score on a squeeze play put down by Cam McNearney. After taking a 1-0 lead
Josh Leerssen threw a scoreless second and keep the momentum on the Panthers side. Birmingham-Southern extended their lead after a
Cole Steadman homerun in the top of the third inning.
After only scratching across one run Centre came back and put up a two spot to tie the game in the bottom of the third. The game would not be tied for long as
Ian Hancock homered to put the Panthers back in front 3-2. BSC added three runs in the top of the fifth to extend their lead 6-2. The lead did not last long into the bottom of the fifth inning. Centre put up five runs and took a 7-6 lead after five complete innings.
Birmingham-Southern did not score in the sixth or seventh inning while Centre was able to extend their lead by one run. The Panthers pulled within one in the eighth inning after a
Noah Best double plated a run for BSC cutting the Colonels lead to 8-7. The Panthers held Centre scoreless in the eighth and got a lot of momentum back as they headed to the ninth down one.
In the ninth inning
Jack Fleming played hero and hit a two-run, go-ahead homerun to give the Panthers a 9-8 lead. Unfortunately Centre scratched one across in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. The bats stayed hot for BSC in extra innings as they opened up the 10th inning with four runs. All runs came via the long ball with
Jack Fleming hitting a three-run home runs and Cam McNearney hitting a solo shot.
Birmingham-Southern would hand on to win 13-9.
Pitching decisions
WIN:
Connor Adams (2-1)
LOSS: Luc Morgan (0-2)
Records
#3 Birmingham-Southern 22-7 Overall (10-3 SAA), Centre 12-18 Overall (3-10 SAA)
Postseason implications
With the win today BSC moves into first place in the SAA standings by a half game after Berry dropped two games to Hendrix.
News and notes
> The five RBI for
Jack Fleming are a single-game, career-high for him.
> Fleming now leads the SAA in homeruns with eight.
> BSC has a +111 run differential this season.
> Three players currently have a hitting streak of nine or more games.
Up next
The Panthers will wrap up their series with Centre on April 10 as they will play a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11 am.
