Friday, February 17
Macon, Ga.
6 p.m.
Mercer University
1-0
9
vs
8
William & Mary
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
William & Mary
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
7
8
6
3
Mercer
1
0
0
0
1
3
0
4
X
9
10
0
Bears Survive Late Comeback for Opening Day Win
2/17/2023 10:53:00 PM | Baseball
Josh Harlow recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball team (1-0) claimed an Opening Day victory, 9-8, over William & Mary (0-1) on Friday after staving off a late comeback attempt by the Tribe. This is the 13th consecutive win on Opening Day and the 17th season-opening win under head coach Craig Gibson.
Mercer jumped out to a 5-0 lead through six innings and extended it to 9-1 at the end of the eighth. William & Mary fell just short of a stunning comeback after scoring seven runs in the ninth. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Wesley Franklin entered to close out game one of the series in favor of the Bears.
Josh Harlow (1-0) started on the mound for the Bears, earning a career-high 11 strikeouts and only allowing one hit in six innings. The sophomore hit three batters, including two in the third inning to load the bases, but worked his way out of it with two strikeouts. Harlow struck out the side in the fourth inning after posting two strikeouts in each of the first three innings.
Jaxon O'Neal entered in relief in the seventh inning and recorded four strikeouts in two innings pitched. Franklin is attributed with the save after earning the final out following the Tribe's series of runs. The pitching staff struck out 16 batters combined.
On offense, Jozsef Rohrbacher headlined the night with a three-run blast to left field. The senior finished with four RBI on two hits. Carter Sanford had an excellent debut performance for the Bears, finishing with two RBI on three hits. Also making his first appearance for Mercer was Carter Geier who recorded three hits in five at-bats.
Other players who made their debuts for the Bears include Eric Toth, Ty Dalley, Landon Underhill, Conner Todaro, and Micah Takac.
SCORING SUMMARY
B1 | Mercer 1, William & Mary 0 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Treyson Hughes scored on an error.
B5 | Mercer 2, William & Mary 0Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Treyson Hughes singled to center field, scoring Landon Underhill.
B6 | Mercer 5, William & Mary 0Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jozsef Rohrbacher homered to left field, scoring Eric Toth and Carter Sanford.
T7 | Mercer 5, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Assaf Lowengart homered to left field.
B8 | Mercer 7, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Carter Sanford singled to right field, scoring Treyson Hughes and Carter Geier.
B8 | Mercer 8, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Trevor Austin scored on a fielder's choice.
B8 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Conner Todaro walked, scoring Carter Sanford.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nick Lottchea singled to right center, scoring Lucas Carmichael.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Joe Delossantos hit by pitch, scoring Jerry Barnes III.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Noah Zertuche scored on a wild pitch.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nick Lottchea scored on a wild pitch.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Cole Ragone homered to center field, scoring Nate Goranson and Joe Delossantos.
UP NEXT: The series between Mercer and William & Mary continues on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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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.Â
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Mercer jumped out to a 5-0 lead through six innings and extended it to 9-1 at the end of the eighth. William & Mary fell just short of a stunning comeback after scoring seven runs in the ninth. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Wesley Franklin entered to close out game one of the series in favor of the Bears.
Josh Harlow (1-0) started on the mound for the Bears, earning a career-high 11 strikeouts and only allowing one hit in six innings. The sophomore hit three batters, including two in the third inning to load the bases, but worked his way out of it with two strikeouts. Harlow struck out the side in the fourth inning after posting two strikeouts in each of the first three innings.
Jaxon O'Neal entered in relief in the seventh inning and recorded four strikeouts in two innings pitched. Franklin is attributed with the save after earning the final out following the Tribe's series of runs. The pitching staff struck out 16 batters combined.
On offense, Jozsef Rohrbacher headlined the night with a three-run blast to left field. The senior finished with four RBI on two hits. Carter Sanford had an excellent debut performance for the Bears, finishing with two RBI on three hits. Also making his first appearance for Mercer was Carter Geier who recorded three hits in five at-bats.
Other players who made their debuts for the Bears include Eric Toth, Ty Dalley, Landon Underhill, Conner Todaro, and Micah Takac.
SCORING SUMMARY
B1 | Mercer 1, William & Mary 0 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Treyson Hughes scored on an error.
B5 | Mercer 2, William & Mary 0Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Treyson Hughes singled to center field, scoring Landon Underhill.
B6 | Mercer 5, William & Mary 0Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jozsef Rohrbacher homered to left field, scoring Eric Toth and Carter Sanford.
T7 | Mercer 5, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Assaf Lowengart homered to left field.
B8 | Mercer 7, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Carter Sanford singled to right field, scoring Treyson Hughes and Carter Geier.
B8 | Mercer 8, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Trevor Austin scored on a fielder's choice.
B8 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Conner Todaro walked, scoring Carter Sanford.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nick Lottchea singled to right center, scoring Lucas Carmichael.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Joe Delossantos hit by pitch, scoring Jerry Barnes III.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Noah Zertuche scored on a wild pitch.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nick Lottchea scored on a wild pitch.
T9 | Mercer 9, William & Mary 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Cole Ragone homered to center field, scoring Nate Goranson and Joe Delossantos.
UP NEXT: The series between Mercer and William & Mary continues on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Â
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.Â
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harlow, Josh (1-0)
L: B. Craven (0-1)
S: Franklin, Wesley (1)
Batting:
HR: C. Ragone 1 ; A. Lowengart 1
RBI: J.Delossanto 1 ; C. Ragone 3 ; A. Lowengart 1 ; N. Lottchea 1
Base Running:
RUNS: J.Delossanto 1 ; N. Goranson 1 ; C. Ragone 1 ; A. Lowengart 1 ; L.Carmichael 1 ; J. Barnes 1 ; N. Zertuche 1 ; N. Lottchea 1
HBP: J.Delossanto 1 ; B.Williamson 2 ; N. Zertuche 1
Batting:
HR: Rohrbacher, Jozsef 1
RBI: Hughes, Treyson 1 ; Sanford, Carter 2 ; Rohrbacher, Jozsef 4 ; Todaro, Conner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hughes, Treyson 2 ; Austin, Trevor 1 ; Sanford, Carter 2 ; Toth, Eric 1 ; Rohrbacher, Jozsef 1 ; Underhill, Landon 1 ; Geier, Carter 1
HBP: Austin, Trevor 1 ; Brown, Antonio 1
PO: Rohrbacher, Jozsef 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
lf/rf
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
IF/RHP
/ BaseballSS/2B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballC/IF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
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