Bears Split Twinbill with ETSU

Saturday, April 30

Johnson City, TN

2 p.m.

Mercer University

East Tennessee State University

4/30/2022 8:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Mercer takes series in nightcap

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Mercer split a doubleheader Saturday to claim the Southern Conference series from ETSU at Thomas Stadium. The Bears dropped the opener, 6-4, but bounced back with a 6-3 win in the nightcap.

Mercer (35-9, 9-3 SoCon) scored five runs in the first two innings of the series finale to take control.

Bill Knight set the tone with a leadoff homer to start a three-run first. David Burke had an RBI single, while Blake Schmitt posted a sacrifice fly that drove in Angelo DiSpigna to give the Bears a 3-0 advantage.

The Buccaneers (25-15, 7-5 SoCon) plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but Jozsef Rohrbacher blasted a two-run homer in the top of the second to push the lead back to three for Mercer.

The Bears received another run-scoring hit from Burke in the top of the fifth on a double down the left-field line.

East Tennessee State managed only a run in the sixth to cap the scoring.

Mercer tied together 12 hits in the nightcap, led by Burke's 3 for 5 performance. Burke had a double and drove in two. Rohrbacher was 2 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs, while Will Mapes added two singles.

Josh Harlow (6-2) received the win on the mound after scattering five hits and three runs in 5.2 innings. He also fanned four and walked one.

Landon Smiddy (1-4) was tagged with the loss, as the ETSU starter gave up four runs in just over an inning of work.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Buccaneers overcame a 4-1 deficit to score five runs combined in the seventh and eighth innings to knock off the Bears.

Mercer built a three-run advantage in the top of the seventh on Knight's three-run single to center field.

However, ETSU responded with three runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to tie the game.

The Buccaneers scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on Ryan McCarthy's RBI double. McCarthy scored later in the frame on a wild pitch.

Schmitt led off the ninth with a double for the Bears, but was stranded as Nathaniel Tate (3-3) retired the next three batters to secure the win.

Garrett Sloan (0-1) received the loss after being charged for the go-ahead run in the eighth.

Mercer will continue its road swing next weekend with a stop in Cullowhee, North Carolina, to take on Western Carolina. The three-game set opens at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 6.