Mercer Routs Catamounts in Series Finale

Saturday, May 8

Cullowhee, N.C.

3 p.m.

Mercer University

30-17, 15-6

Western Carolina

22-17, 10-9

Mercer

Western Carolina

Photo by: Mitch Robinson

5/8/2021 8:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Mercer won its fifth straight with a 14-1 rout of Western Carolina

By: Travis Rae

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Mercer baseball team defeated the Catamounts of Western Carolina, 14-1, in the series finale on Saturday afternoon. The Bears had 14 hits in the contest.

Tommy Green picked up the win for the Bears, throwing 2.1 innings of one-hit baseball while striking out three. RJ Yeager led the Bears with three hits and four RBI on the afternoon. The Bears continued to hit bombs as Collin Price and David Burke hit a home run to extend the Bears' streak of games with a homer to 12.

Mercer struck first for the first time in the series. Yeager led off the second inning with a double, and Le Bassett drove him in on a double down the right field line. After the first out of the inning, Jackson Cherry got into the double party and had picked up a two-base knock, extending the Bears lead to 2-0. Following the second out of the frame, Bill Knight singled to centerfield, scoring Cherry, and Mercer led 3-0 after their second set of at-bats.

The Bears' pitching came out looking good on Saturday. The Catamounts began the inning with a walk before Fred Wilson settled down and picked up two strikeouts. However, WCU scored the first run on a Daylan Nanny single. After a pitching change, Green threw one pitch to end the inning as he got Justice Bigbie to fly out.

Can't touch this! Fred Wilson with his third K of the game!#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/XfXcNw8RbN
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 8, 2021

The Orange & Black put up a crooked number in the top of the fourth inning. After the first out of the frame, Trevor Austin had a bunt single. Knight reached after being hit by a pitch, and Angelo DiSpigna drew a walk to load the bases. Garett Delano came up and singled home two runs growing the lead to 5-1.

After another walk, this time to Brandon Michie, loaded the bases, Yeager cleared them with an RBI triple, his first of the season. A second walk put two on, and on the fifth pitch of Collin Price's at-bat he lined one over the left-field fence for a three-run blast, pushing the Orange & Black's advantage to 11-1.

Look at those WHEELS! @rj_yeag1 with the 3-run RBI triple!#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/KpXqdMit5W
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 8, 2021

What's the PRICE! @Collin_Pricee with the three-run bomb!#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/nFTZgmY8sn
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 8, 2021

Mercer added to the lead in the top of the seventh inning. With one on and one out, Burke made his first plate appearance of the day. On the second pitch he saw, he blasted a two-run bomb, putting Mercer ahead 13-1. Brandon followed with a double up the middle and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored when Yeager reached on an error, extend the Bears' lead to 13 runs, 14-1.

.@DavidBurke04 blasts one out of here!#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/46Xqq04zGP
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 8, 2021

Robert Bennett came into close out the game, and the Catamounts picked up one hit in the inning but could not get anything going as the Bears won their fifth straight game.

Hear from Coach Gibson

🗣 @CraigGibson_MU talks about the 14-1 win over Western Carolina on Saturday!#WinnersWin | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/10N3D3FlRX
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 8, 2021

Records Update
» Mercer: 30-17, 15-6 SoCon
» Western Carolina: 22-17, 10-9 SoCon

Pitchers of Record
» Win: Tommy Green (4-2)
» Loss: Jacob Corn (1-1)

Notables
» The Bears used an eight-run fourth inning to defeat the Catamounts, 14-1.
» Burke and Price each hit a home run in the win.
» Green earned the win in the third game of the series and his third victory of the week
» Wilson went 2.2 innings and tallied a team-high four punch-outs.
» Mercer had 14 hits in the game, led by Yeager with three.
» Yeager finished the game a home run away from the cycle. He drove in four runs in the win.
» The win for the Bears gives the Bears 30 on the season. Mercer is five wins away from winning 35 games for the 11^th straight season.
» Mercer has won four straight SoCon games and seven of its last eight games.

Up Next
» Mercer: at Georgia State (6 p.m., Tuesday, May 11 at GSU Baseball Complex)
» Western Carolina: vs. Wofford (4 p.m., Friday, May 14 at Hennon Stadium)

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.

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Next Event

Georgia State

W, 7-4

May 11 (Tue)

6 p.m.

Box Score Recap Preview Live stats

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Green, Tommy (4-2)

L: Jacob Corn (1-1)

Mercer

Batting:

2B: Michie, Brandon 1 ; Yeager, RJ 1 ; Bassett, Le 1 ; Cherry, Jackson 1

3B: Yeager, RJ 1

HR: Burke, David 1 ; Price, Collin 1

RBI: Knight, Bill 1 ; Delano, Garett 2 ; Burke, David 2 ; Yeager, RJ 4 ; Bassett, Le 1 ; Price, Collin 3 ; Cherry, Jackson 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Knight, Bill 2 ; DiSpigna, Angelo 1 ; Delano, Garett 1 ; Burke, David 1 ; Michie, Brandon 2 ; Yeager, RJ 2 ; Bassett, Le 2 ; Price, Collin 1 ; Cherry, Jackson 1 ; Austin, Trevor 1