MACON, Ga. – It took longer than usual Friday night at OrthoGeorgia Park, but the Wofford baseball team outlasted Mercer in a 12-inning duel, 9-2, with a seven-run 12^th busting the contest open. Wofford improves to 26-10 (7-3 SoCon) with Mercer falling to 19-17 (3-7 SoCon).
 
This is Wofford's second extra-innings contest of the season with the Terriers claiming wins in both. The previous one came just one week ago, a 14-inning victory in Miami over FIU.
 
Despite walking away with a no decision, Terrier starter Zac Cowan delivered the best performance yet of his career. The sophomore right-hander pitched 9.0 innings with only a single run allowed on six hits and one walk. He tallied 14 strikeouts, a new career high and the fifth-most in a game by a Terrier ever. His 9.0 innings of work are also a career best, and he is the first Wofford hurler to pitch 9.0 innings since Matthew Marchal's complete game against UNCG in last season's SoCon Tournament. Lefty Kenny Michaels (3-0) picked up the win in relief, pitching 2.0 innings with a run allowed on two hits and three walks with a pair of punchouts. Alec Bouchard polished the contest off, tallying the final three outs after coming on with a bases-loaded jam. He shut the door with no damage, striking out two and sealing the win.
 
Bear reliever Cade Cosper (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on three hits and three walks in just one inning.
 
The game was a pitchers' duel for 11 of the 12 frames as both teams' pitching staffs combined for 30 strikeouts. Terrier hurlers owned more with 18.
 
Wofford recorded 12 hits in the game with four players owning two-hit outings. Brice Martinez tallied two, stretching his hit streak to 22 games. He is one shy of tying for the second-longest streak in program history. Martinez added in an RBI, as did Lucas Manning. Jack Renwick drove in three runs with his two hits, and Tyler Hare added a pair of knocks and RBI. Renwick added in a sacrifice bunt, the 51^st of his career. He is now tied for the second-most sacrifices in a career in SoCon history and two shy of the record.
 
Marshall Toole added a hit and a walk, stretching his on-base streak to 36 games. He stole a pair of bases as well. Manning and David Wiley both joined him with each swiping two bases. Toole's hit was a triple, giving him seven on the season, tying the program record for triples in a campaign set by Mac Doyle in 2011.
 
The game opened with six consecutive scoreless innings. Despite the dominance of both pitching staffs, each offense had its opportunities to score. Mercer would see the first chance, getting runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the first, but Zac Cowan worked out of the early jam unscathed. The Bears would not get another runner in scoring position until the sixth inning with a lead-off double, but Cowan recorded back-to-back punchouts before a flyout ended the threat.
 
Wofford had chances in the third and fourth innings. In the top of the third, Jack Renwick doubled and advanced to third on an error with two outs, but he was stranded by an ensuing strikeout. In the top of the fourth, Dixon Black singled and Brice Martinez doubled to begin the frame with runners on second and third with no outs. But Mercer held firm and worked out of the jam with no damage.
 
That would be the last major opportunity for the Terriers until they finally broke through in the top of the seventh. David Wiley doubled and then stole third base to get within 90 feet of home plate. Lucas Manning would deliver thereafter, ripping a single back up the middle to push Wiley across and end the scoreless tie with Wofford now on top 1-0.
 
Mercer responded in the bottom of the eighth, finally cracking through in its own right with a solo home run to right field with one out. Undeterred, Cowan clamped down and struck out the following two hitters to take the game into the ninth tied at 1-1.
 
Both teams would see a chance to break through again in the ninth to avoid extras, but neither squad could see their opportunity through. Wiley was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the frame, but a flyout and strikeout sent the contest to the bottom of the ninth. The Bears threatened to walk it off with a lead-off single followed by a sacrifice bunt placing the winning run at second. But Cowan induced a grounder to third and a flyout to send the contest to extras.
 
To start the 10^th inning, Adam Haber worked a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. A groundout moved him to third, and a walk placed runners on the corners. With two outs, Brice Martinez executed a risky squeeze bunt, but he placed it expertly to notch an RBI single and grant the Terriers a lead going into the bottom of the frame.
 
A lead-off walk was nullified by a Kenny Michaels pick-off move. That pick-off proved pivotal, as Mercer lifted a solo homer to tie the game, but the removal of the runner meant the contest would see the 11^th instead of ending. Free baseball continued with the game tied at 2-2.
 
After a scoreless 11^th inning, Wofford busted the game open in the top of the 12^th. Marshall Toole led the frame off with a triple, and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with no outs. Daniel Jackson delivered, launching a ball off the center field wall just a couple feet shy of a homer. But it would be a two-run double, and after a strikeout Tyler Hare laced a single into right that scored two more. Later with two outs and two on, Renwick stepped up and hit one gone. His three-run homer to right created a 9-2 cushion for the Terriers entering the bottom of the 12^th.
 
But Mercer would not go quietly. A single and two-straight walks loaded the bases, and Alec Bouchard came out of the bullpen tasked with shutting down the rally. The freshman did just that, striking out two batters before inducing a weak fly ball to right, icing the extra-innings victory for the Terriers.
 
The series now concludes tomorrow, as the threat of forecasted inclement weather has forced schedule changes. Game three, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, has now been pushed up to tomorrow as part of a doubleheader. The first end of the twin bill is set to start at 2:00 p.m., the original start time for game two. Game three of the series will follow tomorrow evening.