Bears Snap Skid, Take Game 2 vs USF

Saturday, March 19

Tampa, FL

2:00 P.M.

Mercer University

16-3

University of South Florida

12-7

Mercer

South Florida

Photo by: Mitch Robinson

3/19/2022 5:25:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Mercer defeats Bulls by 14-6 margin

TAMPA, Fla. – Mercer used a balanced approach to even the series with USF Saturday, following a 14-6 victory at USF Baseball Stadium.

The Bears (16-3) stopped a two-game skid, as the offensive unit posted 17 hits in the middle game of the set. Six of the 17 hits went for extra bases, including four home runs.

The Mercer pitching staff was just as impressive, hurling 6.2 innings of hitless baseball to open the contest.

Tanner Hall worked the first four frames without allowing a hit. The southpaw gave up only an unearned run before handing the ball over the bullpen.

The price was right on this homer by @Collin_Pricee ! We're heading to B5 here in Tampa Mercer 5, USF 1 pic.twitter.com/tfAFGU9N7c — Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) March 19, 2022

Jackson Kelley (2-0) breezed through two scoreless stanzas in relief to earn the win.

The Bulls (12-7) were finally able to break through in the hit column with two outs in the seventh, as Jarrett Eaton reached on an infield single.

The game was well in hand at this point, thanks to the offensive onslaught by the Bears.

Colby Thomas led off the game with a triple before Treyson Hughes launched a two-run homer to give Mercer the early advantage.

Jozsef Rohrbacher belted a solo shot in the following inning to push the lead to 3-0.

After USF picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the panel, David Burke drove in Hughes with an RBI single in the third.

Price hit a solo homer in the fifth to increase the lead to 5-1. It was his seventh home run of the season, which tied him for the team lead with Thomas.

A seven-run sixth inning truly put the game out of reach for the Bears.

Mercer sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth, eight of which picked up hits. The knockout swing came from Angelo DiSpigna, who pounded a grand slam over the wall in center field with one out to push the led to 12-1.

The Bulls struck for four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bears answered with two more in the eighth on a pair of RBI singles by Antonio Brown and Trevor Austin.

USF added another run in the ninth before Garrett Sloan retired the final two batters on a groundout and a strikeout to end the game.

Price led the hit parade with three knocks, while six other Mercer batters had two hits apiece. DiSpigna was 2 for 4 with four RBIs, while Hughes finished with two hits and drove in a trio of runs.

Bulls starter Dylan Vega (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in three innings.

The rubber game of the series will be played Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1

Cosper Inks Free Agent Deal With New York Mets

Friday, August 01

Bradley Frye Signs Free Agent Contract With San Diego Padres

Tuesday, July 15

Ely Brown Selected By Chicago White Sox In MLB Draft

Monday, July 14

Colby Thomas Promoted To Major Leagues By Athletics

Monday, June 30

Next Event

University of South Florida

L, 2-3

Mar 20 (Sun)

1:00 P.M.

Box Score Recap Final (PDF)Watch Preview Live stats

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Kelley, Jackson (2-0)

L: VEGA, Dylan (0-1)

Mercer

Batting:

2B: Brown, Antonio 1

3B: Thomas, Colby 1

HR: Hughes, Treyson 1 ; Price, Collin 1 ; DiSpigna, Angelo 1 ; Rohrbacher, Jozsef 1

RBI: Thomas, Colby 1 ; Hughes, Treyson 3 ; Knight, Bill 1 ; Price, Collin 1 ; DiSpigna, Angelo 4 ; Burke, David 1 ; Brown, Antonio 1 ; Rohrbacher, Jozsef 1 ; Austin, Trevor 1

SH: Rohrbacher, Jozsef 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Thomas, Colby 2 ; Hughes, Treyson 3 ; Knight, Bill 1 ; Price, Collin 2 ; DiSpigna, Angelo 2 ; Brown, Antonio 2 ; Rohrbacher, Jozsef 1 ; Austin, Trevor 1