Mere Sets Single Season Hit Record; Lions Season Ends in HCAC Tournament

KOKOMO, Indiana - The 2024 Mount St. Joseph baseball season has come to an end after a loss to 11-10 loss to Rose-Hulman on Friday. Thus putting a cap on a season where the Lions were picked to finish ninth in the league in the preseason coaches poll, but ended up fourth in the HCAC's standings at the end of the regular season.

The Lions turned the ball over to Derek Richter with their season on the line, and the right hander did not disappoint. Throwing the front 6.0 innings allowing only three earned runs and striking out three. 

The Mount got the scoring started in this one with one in the top of the third inning, Anton Mere and Jake Lawson hit back-to-back two-out doubles to get them their first run. Rose-Hulman answered with three in the bottom of the inning all of which were unearned. 

In the top of the fourth the Mount got another run, Ethan Mason led off the inning with a single, an out later Jackson Gutzwiller doubled to right field. With two outs in an inning Mason scored on a wild pitch to draw the Lions within one. 

They would come back to take the lead 5-3 in the fifth with a three-run inning. Matt Brankamp led off with a single, and Mere followed it up with a single of his own. Lawson then squared for a bunt, laying down a perfect effort for a bunt single. Rose was unable to handle the bunt, throwing the ball down the first base line allowing the Lions to score two. Mason then grounded out to short, and with the contact play on Lawson raced home for the third run of the inning.

The Fightin' Engineers answered with one in the bottom of the frame, to draw within one. The Mount added a couple of insurance runs in the sixth inning. Gutzwiller led the inning off with a double to right, and Kevin Schaaf followed it up with a bunt single. Brennan Martin drove in the first run of the inning with a ground out to second base. After a Brankamp walk, Mere laced an RBI single into centerfield. The play of the game happened to end the Lions sixth, Harrison drilled what looked to be a three-run homerun into deep left field but a leaping effort from Kade Kline robbed him of at minimum a two-run double. 

Rose roared back to tie the game with three of their own in the bottom of the sixth. Then in the seventh the Mount once again took a lead with a pair of runs. Mason led the inning off with a walk, two outs later Schaaf drilled an RBI double and Martin followed it up with an RBI single. 

Rose would score three times in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the lead back. The eighth inning was the first time since the second that neither team scored.

The Lions entered the ninth needing a run to tie the score, Schaaf hit a one-out double down the left field line to get the comeback effort started. An out later Brankamp beat out an infield single to short stop and Mere tied the score with an RBI single. Mere was 5-for-6 in the game with his fifth hit giving him 69 for the season, setting a new school record for hits in a season.

But the Lions magical run came to an end as Rose-Hulman was able to walk it off with a one-out sacrifice fly off the bat of Peter Rogers to secure the win.

The Lions had an outstanding 2024 season, and will look to continue the momentum into the future.