Mercer University
17-9
Kennesaw State University
11-12
Gibson Ties Win Record with Victory Over Kennesaw State
3/29/2023 10:13:00 PM | Baseball
Gibson’s 648 wins tie Barry Myers as the winningest coaches in program history
𝟔𝟒𝟖 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 ☑️@CraigGibson_MU ties the all-time Mercer Baseball win record with tonight's victory‼️#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/EFjX3vVhJ1
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) March 30, 2023
The Bears started strong with the first five batters reaching base. Treyson Hughes and Jackson Cherry each hit singles followed by Eric Toth's seventh home run of the season to score three early runs. Pitcher Tanner Franklin walked the next two batters of Jozsef Rohrbacher and Trevor Austin, forcing a mound visit for the Owls. Carter Geier also reached on a walk to load the bases and force a pitching change with just one out on the board for Kennesaw State.
1ST INNING BOMB💣 @eric_toth19 gives the Bears an early lead with his 7th HR of the year!
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) March 29, 2023
T1 | Mercer 3, KSU 0#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/IeYUqSCJc6
Ty Dalley added to the lead in the first with a bases-loaded single off new pitcher Brayden Eidson. Bradley Frye reached first on a muffed throw, allowing Trevor Austin to cross home plate. The Bears wrapped around the order in the first, posting a 5-0 lead before the first defensive outing.
After a quiet second inning for both teams, the Owls got on the board in the third with a single by Wade Richardson, casuing a pitching change for the Bears. KSU plated another in the third on a sacrifice fly. The Owls tied it up with a trio of runs in the fourth before taking the lead in the fifth thanks to a Nick Colina home run.
Mercer fired back in the top of the sixth to take the lead with back-to-back home runs. Hughes launched a three-run shot to right field on the first pitch of his at-bat. Cherry followed this up with a home run of his own to right field at a 1-0 count. Both home runs were scored with two outs already on the board.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT @HughesTreyson 🫡
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) March 29, 2023
T6 | Mercer 8, KSU 6#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/5aXRLFDYeE
BACK-TO-BACK JACKS🚨 It's @JacksonCherry9 this time!
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) March 29, 2023
T6 | Mercer 9, KSU 6#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/Edd79wXPPo
After working out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth, Mercer flipped the script and loaded the bases on offense after Rohrbacher singled, Austin was hit by a pitch, and Antonio Brown reached on an error. The Owls were hit with a pitch clock violation, adding a ball to the count for Geier who eventually walked to score Rohrbacher.
The second error of the inning for Kennesaw State plated Austin after the pitcher and catcher did not connect at home plate. Frye's first hit of the day scored two more, and the second baseman ran home on a wild pitch for the final run of the night after a sacrifice fly from Cherry scored Dalley.
Although the Bears only scored in three innings, Mercer strategically strung solid plate appearances together to score in bunches and wrap around the order in two separate innings. The Bears held Kennesaw State scoreless in the final four innings.
Walt Thomas made his fifth start of the season, throwing two innings and recording two runs, two hits, two walks, and one hit batter. Garrett Sloan (1-1) earned the win and contributed to the seven combined strikeouts by the pitching staff. Avery Stephens made his third appearance of the season, posting 2.1 scoreless innings.
Cherry continued his hitting success, finishing 3-for-4 along with two RBI. Hughes and Toth each notched three RBI, going 2-for-4 and 2-for-5 respectively.
SCORING SUMMARY"It means a lot. We have had a lot of good players and good coaches here."
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) March 30, 2023
- @CraigGibson_MU #GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/bh4HUpIjxr
T1 | Mercer 3, KSU 0 Toth homered to center field, scoring Hughes and Cherry.
T1 | Mercer 4, KSU 0 Dalley singled to right field, scoring Rohrbacher.
T1 | Mercer 5, KSU 0 Frye reached on a muffed throw, scoring Austin.
B3 | Mercer 5, KSU 1 Richardson singled to right field, scoring Cole.
B3 | Mercer 5, KSU 2 Chirello flied out to right field, scoring Eidson.
B4 | Mercer 5, KSU 3 Cole walked, scoring Mimbs.
B4 | Mercer 5, KSU 4 Hassan scored on a fielder's choice.
B4 | Mercer 5, KSU 5 Richardson flied out to center field, scoring Brooks.
B5 | Mercer 5, KSU 6 Colina homered to right center.
T6 | Mercer 8, KSU 6 Hughes homered to right field, scoring Geier and Dalley.
T6 | Mercer 9, KSU 6 Cherry homered to right field.
T7 | Mercer 10, KSU 6 Geier walked, scoring Rohrbacher.
T7 | Mercer 11, KSU 6 Austin scored on a throwing error.
T7 | Mercer 13, KSU 6 Frye singled to center field, scoring A. Brown and Geier.
T7 | Mercer 14, KSU 6 Cherry flied out to right field, scoring Dalley.
T7 | Mercer 15, KSU 6 Frye scored on a wild pitch.
UP NEXT: Mercer will host Western Carolina for the second conference series of the season, beginning on Friday, March 31 at 6 p.m. at OrthoGeorgia Park.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sloan, Garrett (1-1)
L: EIDSON, Brayden (1-3)
Batting:
HR: Hughes, Treyson 1 ; Cherry, Jackson 1 ; Toth, Eric 1
RBI: Hughes, Treyson 3 ; Cherry, Jackson 2 ; Toth, Eric 3 ; Geier, Carter 1 ; Dalley, Ty 2 ; Frye, Bradley 2
SH: Brown, Antonio 1
SF: Cherry, Jackson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hughes, Treyson 2 ; Cherry, Jackson 2 ; Toth, Eric 1 ; Rohrbacher, Jozsef 2 ; Austin, Trevor 2 ; Brown, Antonio 1 ; Geier, Carter 2 ; Dalley, Ty 2 ; Frye, Bradley 1
SB: Frye, Bradley 1
HBP: Austin, Trevor 1
Batting:
2B: HASSAN, Nick 1
HR: COLINA, Nick 1
RBI: EIDSON, Brayden 1 ; RICHARDSON, Wade 2 ; CHIRELLO, Jackson 1 ; COLINA, Nick 1 ; COLE, Chris 1
SF: RICHARDSON, Wade 1 ; CHIRELLO, Jackson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: EIDSON, Brayden 1 ; COLINA, Nick 1 ; MIMBS, Hudson 1 ; HASSAN, Nick 1 ; BROOKS, Jamarie 1 ; COLE, Chris 1
SB: RICHARDSON, Wade 1 ; CASH, Donovan 1 ; HASSAN, Nick 1 ; COLE, Chris 1
HBP: EIDSON, Brayden 1 ; CASH, Donovan 1
