Mercer University
Fla. Gulf Coast
Mercer Clinches Series with 9-3 Win over FGCU
3/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back on its way to a 9-3 win over FGCU on Saturday evening at Claude Smith Field.
With the Bears victory on Saturday night, they snapped FGCU's string of 17-straight Atlantic Sun Conference series victories dating back to the 2009 season.
Senior Thomas Carroll and junior Billy Burns each had two hits to pace the Bears, who have combined to score 24 runs on 26 hits over the first two games of the series.
Junior Jacob Matthews earned the win, his first of the season, after pitching two innings of scoreless relief.
Mercer set the tone in the bottom of the first when it scored six runs off FGCU starter Brandon Bixler, knocking the freshman out of the game before he could record a single out. Mercer batted around in the inning, which was highlighted by two two-run singles by freshman DJ Johnson and sophomore Travis Benn.
The Eagles scrapped together a run in response in the top of the second to make the score 6-1 after an RBI single by freshman Jake Foley.
The Bears put the game out of reach, however, in the bottom of the sixth when they plated three more runs. An RBI groundout by junior Jacob Tanis, a wild pitch and an RBI single by freshman Austin Barrett pushed Mercer advantage up to 9-1.
The Mercer bullpen was once again superb in a game where it had to step up. Four relievers including Matthews, Johnson, sophomore David Teasley and senior J.T. Odom combined to allow two runs in 6.2 innings of work.
Mercer and FGCU conclude its three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Claude Smith Field. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
