Offense Shines as Mercer Defeats The Citadel

Friday, April 2

Charleston, S.C.

5 p.m.

Mercer University

14-11, 3-1

The Citadel

8-13, 1-5

Mercer

The Citadel

Photo by: The Citadel Athletics

4/2/2021 8:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Bears pick up 13 hits in the Friday night victory

By: Travis Rae

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Mercer baseball team opened its Southern Conference series at The Citadel with a 12-2 victory on Friday night.

Eight players picked up a hit in the contest for the Bears. Bill Knight, RJ Yeager, Garett Delano, Colby Thomas and Trevor Austin led the team with two hits each. Thomas paced the Bears with four RBI in the game while Delano plated three runs with his fifth bomb of the season. Delano started on the hill and pitched six innings, allowing only one earned run.

The Bears got the bats going early in the first inning as Knight and Yeager picked up singles to start the game. After the first out of the game, Delano helped himself out by hitting a three-run home run to left center. The home run marked Delano's his third straight start on the mound where he also hit a home run in the first inning.

Following his home run, Delano got the Bulldogs first two hitters to ground out. Following a single, Delano posted his first strikeout of the day as he got Cole Simpson swinging.

Mercer's offense stayed hot and in the top of the second inning as Thomas led off with a home run to left field. Austin and Knight followed with back-to-back singles putting two on base. Yeager moved the runners into scoring position with a sac bunt, and Brandon Michie drove them in with a single up the middle growing the Bears lead to 6-0.

Delano looked as if he would run into trouble in the bottom of the third. With two outs, The Citadel had back-to-back singles. Delano ended the inning with another strikeout of Simpson.

Mercer added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Austin had a double down the left field line and Knight walked to put a pair of Bears on base. After the next two hitters were retired, the Bears pulled of a double steal and Austin stole home as Knight stole second. Knight came into score on a seeing-eye single by Collin Price later in the inning.

The Citadel slowly got to Delano in the bottom of the fourth inning. Crosby Jones led off with a double before Delano got back-to-back strikeouts. A walk put two runners on, and Brooks O'Brien plated The Citadel's first run of the game with a single before Travis Lott came around to score on a Bears error to trim the lead down six, 8-2.

Mercer extended its lead to 10 in the top of the sixth inning as the Bears scored four runs on three hits in the frame. All the damage was done with two outs and the bases loaded. David Burke started the two out rally with an RBI walk. Thomas followed with a bases-clearing triple putting the Bears ahead, 12-2.

In his last inning of work, Delano retired the Bulldogs in order in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wesley Franklin relieved Delano and kept the Bulldogs bats quiet in the seventh inning as he retired the side in order. Mercer came away with a 12-2 run-rule victory in game one of the series.

Coach Gibson's Take
"I am happy to get the weekend off to a great start! Garett Delano was once again outstanding on the mound, and he hit the three-run home run in the first to get us on the board. I am proud of our offensive at bats. We will enjoy this one and get ready for two tough games tomorrow."

Records Update
» Mercer: 14-11, 3-1 SoCon
» The Citadel: 8-13, 1-5 SoCon

Pitchers of Record
» Win: Garett Delano (3-0)
» Loss: Cameron Reeves (2-3)

Notables
» Garett Delano hit a home run in his third straight game as the starting pitcher. Each home run as came in the first inning.
» Colby Thomas led the Bears with four RBI in the contest. He had a solo home run and a three run triple.
» Eight Bears had a hit in the contest against the Bulldogs with five players having multiple hits.
» The win for Mercer is their third straight against The Citadel. Mercer now improves to 3-1 in SoCon play.
» Delano picked up his third win of the season on Friday night. He went six innings and struck out six.
» The Bears had five extra-base hits in the game. Delano and Thomas hit home runs, DiSpigna and Trevor Austin and doubles and Thomas had a triple.
» Delano, a two-way player for Mercer, picked up three RBI at the plate on Friday. In each of his last three starts as a pitcher, he has three or more RBI in each game.
» The Orange & Black and three stolen baes in the win. This is the third most they have had in a game this season.

Up Next
» Mercer: at The Citadel ((DH) 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3 at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park)
» The Citadel: vs. Mercer ((DH) 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3 at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park)

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