BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – No. 15 Birmingham-Southern defeated No. 17 Coe College 6-4 in 12 innings to take game one of the NCAA Super Regional series on Friday evening.
After falling behind 4-1, the Panthers scored two runs in the fifth and another run in the top of the ninth inning to knot it up 4-4 before eventually scoring two runs in the top of the 12th to finish the series opener.
Despite going just 1-of-6 from the plate in the game, senior first baseman Tyler Wise (Birmingham, Ala./Spain Park HS) had two crucial RBIs to lead the Panthers in that category. Wise had a fielder's choice RBI in the fifth to pull BSC within one, and he hit the go-ahead RBI triple and came around to score in the top of the 12th to put the Panthers in position to win the game.
Fellow senior Richie Misischia (Dothan, Ala./Regis HS) accounted for three of BSC's six runs, including the game-tying sac bunt RBI in the ninth and two runs scored.
Senior right-hander Jake Cook (Oxford, Ala./Oxford HS) got the start on the mound for the Panthers, tossing six innings and allowing four runs off eight hits. Juniors Hanan Mauldin (Florence, Ala./Florence HS) and Andy Hammond (Oxford, Ala./Oxford HS) came in in relief of Cook and combined for two scoreless innings.
Misischia, who moved from left field to the mound in the ninth inning, pitched four big shutout innings and earned the win, his ninth of the season.
With the win on Friday, Birmingham-Southern is just one win away from its first ever NCAA Division III World Series appearance. Game two of the series will be played on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with game three, if necessary, to be played following the conclusion of game two.