Baseball Rallies for 9-8 Walk-off Victory over AIC

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – Mike Andre lined a two-out walk-off single in the ninth to give the Merrimack baseball team the thrilling 9-8 victory over American International Friday afternoon.

The Warriors actually led 7-3 entering the ninth, but they surrendered five ninth-inning runs, two unearned, including four with two outs to cough up the lead and send the hosts back to the dugout needing a run to tie and two to win.

With the Warriors down to their final out and the bases empty, Jeff Bercume drilled a triple to left-center, bringing the tying run to within 90-feet. Matt Hogan, who already had two RBIs in the game, drilled a single to right-center to tie the game, bringing Bercume in to score. After a walk by Mike Coppinger to move Hogan to second, Andre lined a full-count pitch to right field, bringing Coppinger home narrowly with the game-winning run.

Ryan McNeil (6-2) got the win for the Warriors with his third complete game in his last three starts. The right-hander struck out eight and allowed just four earned runs.

The Warriors picked up three first-inning runs off RBIs from Hogan, Coppinger, and Andre. After the Yellow Jackets evened the score with three runs in the fourth, Merrimack doubled its run total with three more in the sixth, capped off with a two-run double down the right-field line from Coppinger that plated Hogan and PJ Farnham. Farnham would add an RBI single in the sixth to score Bob McCarthy with the seventh run of the day.

Brendan Pyburn’s hitting streak was extended to 12 as the shortstop had one hit in five at-bats.

Merrimack (18-26, 9-18 NE-10) concludes its season with a doubleheader Saturday at Pace at 12 p.m., before hosting the Setters Sunday at 1 p.m. with Senior Day festivities beginning at 12:40 p.m.