Titans take down Southwestern, 14-4
Published 10:00 am Friday, May 4, 2018
By JOE MATHIS
Contributing Writer
HARRODSBURG — Going against the region’s third ranked offense and a team averaging over eight runs a game, Mercer County knew its bats had to be sharp against Southwestern Thursday night.
It didn’t take long for the Titans to prove just how sharp they were.
After a scoreless top of the first, Mercer County got to work quickly in the bottom half of the frame. Cameron Warren and Noah Irvin both walked – Irvin’s walk was the 100th on the season for the Titans in only their 17th game – and Jamason Sherrow was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.
McGinnis laced a single to left field, scoring both Warren and Irvin to give Mercer County a 2-0 lead. The Titans didn’t stop there.
On the very next pitch, Dillon Warren roped a single to center, scoring Sherrow and McGinnis. One batter later, Luke McGinnis’ hard ground ball was booted by the Southwestern infield, scoring Dillon Warren to give Mercer County a five spot in the bottom half of the first.
“That’s our game,” Mercer County head coach Adam Shartzer said. “We want to get ahead and stay ahead. Hunter (Kelly) came out there and pitched with the lead and went out there and did exactly what he was supposed to.”
Southwestern scored its first run on a bases loaded walk to make it 5-1 with only one out when Sherrow showed just how powerful of a right arm he has in right field.
Sherrow’s play not only ended the threat but also ended the top of the second, leaving Southwestern with only one run on the board despite having the bases loaded and one out.
“He’s (Sherrow) a big strong kid,” Shartzer said. “He’s going to try and make that throw everytime and give you 110 percent.”
With Mercer holding on to a 5-1 lead going into the second, more runs came pouring in for the Titans. Andrew McGinnis doubled driving in Cameron Warren and Irvin who both walked earlier. It was McGinnis’ second two RBI hit in as many innings.
Mercer County loaded the bases for the third straight inning and saw three more runs cross – one on a Sherrow RBI groundout and two more on a Smith single to center. By that point it was an 11-1 Mercer County lead as the Titans continued to cruise through Southwestern pitching and Kelly set down Southwestern hitters.
Mercer County led 11-1 going into the fifth, just a mere three outs away from a 10 run rule but walks came back to bite the Titans – albeit, ever so briefly.
Two pitches into the bottom half, Mercer County’s Hunter Armstrong tomohawked a fastball to straight away center field for the games first, and only, homerun to make it 12-4.
Warren’s teammate, Austin McGinnis, went 2/3 with a double and five RBI meaning the Titans’ six and seven hole hitters went a combined 6/7 with two runs and nine RBI. Shartzer said it’s the type of performance they have come to expect from their lineup.