Offensive Explosion Leads Mercer Past ETSU

Friday, April 30

Macon, Ga.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

25-16, 11-5

ETSU

18-19, 8-10

ETSU

Mercer

Photo by: Sloan Aubrey

4/30/2021 10:35:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Mercer tallied 11 extra-base hits and 21 hits in the win.

By: Travis Rae

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Bears' bats were hot on Friday night as they tallied a season-high 21 hits in a 13-8 victory over ETSU in Southern Conference action. Eleven of Mercer's 21 hits went for extra bases.

The Bears two and three hitters, RJ Yeager and Brandon Michie, combined to go 9-for-11 on the night with eight RBI. Four of the nine hits were home runs for the duo. Bill Knight and Trevor Austin followed with three hits apiece. Garett Delano picked up the win going 6.2 innings with six punch outs.

After a leadoff home run for the Bucs, Delano settled in and retired nine straight hitters. With Delano locked in, Mercer's bats came to life as they answered back in the first. Knight led off with a double, and Yeager followed with a double of his own, scoring Knight. Michie followed with a home run to right center, putting the Bears ahead 3-1.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the second, Mercer continued to hit. With one out, Trevor Austin picked up one of his three hits. After the second out of the inning, Austin stole second base. He came around to score when Yeager hit his first homer of the night. Yeager hit a high deep ball to left field that hit off the top of the fence and went out. After two innings were complete, Mercer led, 5-1.

The lead grew to 6-1 in the bottom of the third. With two outs, David Burke singled up the middle, and Austin picked up a double that scored Burke from first base.

ETSU chipped away at Mercer's lead in the fourth. After a leadoff walk, Bryce Hodge hit a two-run blast, cutting the Bears lead in half. However, Mercer answered back for two runs in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Colby Thomas singled through the left side plating two, and Mercer's lead was five, 8-3.

Knight found the long ball in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, he drove a ball to left-center that cleared the wall extending the Bears lead to 9-3. After leading 9-3, ETSU scored the next two runs of the game, and the lead was down to four, 9-5, for Mercer.

Mercer broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Bears scored four runs on five hits in the frame. Yeager got the scoring going with a two run blast to left field. The very next pitch, Michie went deep to left-center. Both of those blasts were their second of the game. Mercers added a fourth run on an RBI single by Collin Price.

Mercer was three outs away from a win when ETSU slowly started coming back. In the top of the ninth inning, ETSU drew back-to-back walks to start off the inning. Will Bowdoin came in got a strikeout before a walk loaded the bases. Ashton King followed with a bases clearing double, putting the Bucs down just five, 13-8. Garrett Sloan came in and closed out the game with a strike out of Ethan Cady and a fly out to end the game, giving the Bears their fourth straight win.

Hear from Coach Gibson

What a game to open the ETSU series. Hear @CraigGibson_MU thoughts on the contest. #WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/T2fKQlcOn0
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 1, 2021

Records Update
» Mercer: 25-16, 11-5 SoCon
» ETSU: 18-19, 8-10 SoCon

Pitchers of Record
» Win: Garett Dealno (4-1)
» Loss: Hunter Loyd (4-4)

Notables
» Mercer hit five home runs in the win on Friday night. Brandon Michie and RJ Yeager combined to hit four of those home runs as each player hit two.
» Mercer picked up a season-high 21 hits in the win over ETSU.
» The win for the Bears was their fourth straight.
» Mercer tied its season-high with five home runs on Friday night. On the season, Mercer has hit 67 home runs.
» RJ Yeager and Brandon Michie combined to go 9-for-11 in the two and spots on Friday night. Michie led the team with five hits.
» Mercer continued to add to its two baggers as they hit six in the contest. Mercer now has 87 doubles this season.
» The pitching staff tallied 12 strikeouts on the night. Garett Delano, who went 6.2 innings, tallied six on the night.
» With the Bears win and a Western Carolina and Wofford loss, Mercer is currently leading the Red Division of the SoCon.

Up Next
» Mercer: vs. ETSU ((DH) 2 p.m., Saturday, May 1 at OrthoGeorgia Park)
» ETSU: at Mercer ((DH) 2 p.m., Saturday, May 1 at OrthoGeorgia Park)

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.