COLUMBIA, SC – The Lane College baseball team traveled to South Carolina to take on Benedict in the opening weekend of SIAC play.
Game 1
Trailing 7-1 entering the sixth inning, the Dragons scored three runs in the home half, highlighted by RBI singles from Seth Shannon and Kaden Hall.
A two run home run from Shannon in the seventh pulled Lane within one run of the Tigers.
A five run eighth inning powered by a grand slam from Zach Baker would put the visitors ahead for good as Dominic Mercado shut down Benedict to preserve the win.
Mercado (2-0) got the win in 3.0 innings of work, surrendering just one hit and striking out two.
Shannon finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Cody Kirkland was 4-for-6 with two runs.
Game 2
Lane got off to a hot start in game two, scoring six runs in the first inning. Dakotah Danner began the onslaught with a two RBI single.
Walton Thompson and Hall both had RBIs in the following innings to push the lead to 8-0.
Nate McKenna (1-0) secured the win, going 5.0 innings and allowing just one earned run.
Pollito Perez led the way at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
Game 3
The Dragons again took an early lead in the final game of the series as Perez led off the game with a home run.
Hall doubled in the fifth to give Lane a 6-2 advantage, but the hosts chipped back, scoring two in the sixth and two in the eighth to tie it before winning on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Lane will play a midweek game at Union University in Jackson on Tuesday, February 20th. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
