Runyan’s Two Home Runs Lead Mercer to Victory Over Rutgers

Saturday, March 18

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

14-6

Rutgers University

9-8

Rutgers

Mercer

Eli Runyan, Treyson Hughes, Max Kops, and Carter Geier celebrating after a home run

Runyan’s Two Home Runs Lead Mercer to Victory Over Rutgers

3/18/2023 6:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Four home runs on the day for Mercer

By: Amanda Cover

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball program (14-6) defeated Rutgers (9-8), 11-9, on Saturday afternoon at OrthoGeorgia Park behind four home runs. The rubber match will be played on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Rutgers took the lead in the top of the first and threw three scoreless innings until Mercer hit three home runs across the fourth and the fifth innings to take the lead. Eli Runyan opened the scoring for the Bears with a solo shot to right field.

The Bears hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth, beginning with a three-run blast by Treyson Hughes. Max Kops followed this up with his first home run of the season to give Mercer a 5-4 lead.

The Scarlet Knights responded quickly with another run in the top of the sixth, tying the score at 5-5. It did not stay tied for long as the Bears added two more in the bottom of the sixth during Jozsef Rohrbacher's at-bat. Carter Geier crossed home plate on a wild pitch, and a single by Rohrbacher scored Ty Dalley.

In the seventh, Rutgers added one off a solo home run, but Runyan stole the show with his second home run of the day to score three more for the Bears. The score increased to 11-6 after Geier scored on a passed ball.

Rutgers attempted a come back in the ninth with a three-run home run, but the Scarlet Knights could not score any more.

Holton McGaha (4-0) earned his fourth win of the season after throwing two innings with two strikeouts, two hits, one run, and zero walks. Wesley Franklin logged his fourth save of the season after striking out two in the final two innings.

NOTES

Four home runs in a game are a season high for Mercer.
This was Eli Runyan's first multi-home run game of his career.
Treyson Hughes has reached base in 26-straight games dating back to the 2022 season.
Mercer is 11-8 against active Big Ten opponents and 3-2 under head coach Craig Gibson.

SCORING SUMMARY
T1 | Mercer 0, Rutgers 1               Cohen singled to right center, scoring Lasko.
T2 | Mercer 0, Rutgers 2               Sleight scored on a fielder's choice.
T4 | Mercer 0, Rutgers 3               Love singled to right field, scoring Sleight.
T4 | Mercer 0, Rutgers 4               Kuroda-Grauer singled to right field, scoring Lasko.
B4 | Mercer 1, Rutgers 4              Runyan homered to right field.
B5 | Mercer 4, Rutgers 4              Hughes homered to right center, scoring Frye and Underhill.
B5 | Mercer 5, Rutgers 4              Kops homered to right center.
T6 | Mercer 5, Rutgers 5               Kuroda-Grauer singled to left field, scoring Love.
B6 | Mercer 6, Rutgers 5              Geier scored on a wild pitch.
B6 | Mercer 7, Rutgers 5              Rohrbacher singled to right field, scoring Dalley.
T7 | Mercer 7, Rutgers 6               Sleight homered to right center.
B7 | Mercer 10, Rutgers 6            Runyan homered to right center, scoring Hughes and Kops.
B7 | Mercer 11, Rutgers 6            Geier scored on a passed ball.
T9 | Mercer 11, Rutgers 9            Melnick homered to left field, scoring Sweeney and Sleight.

UP NEXT: Mercer and Rutgers will conclude the series on Sunday, March 18 at 12 p.m.

FOLLOW THE BEARS:
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