Toth’s Pair of Home Runs Guide Mercer to Sweep of ETSU

Sunday, April 16

Macon, Ga.

1 p.m.

Mercer University

24-13, 0

East Tennessee State University

15-18, 0

East Tennessee State

Mercer

Eric Toth running past third base high fiving Willie Stewart

Toth’s Pair of Home Runs Guide Mercer to Sweep of ETSU

4/16/2023 4:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Three home runs for nine RBI on the weekend for Toth

By: Amanda Cover

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball program (24-13, 6-3) completed the weekend sweep of ETSU (15-18, 2-7) with a 7-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at OrthoGeorgia Park. Eric Toth hit two home runs to plate four while Ryan Lobus (4-3) struck out seven batters in 7.2 innings pitched.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After holding the Buccaneers scoreless to open the game, the Bears loaded the bases with a single and two walks. Mercer scored one after pitcher Nathanial Tate walked Trevor Austin. The Mercer defense retired the side in the second thanks to a double play, setting up the offense to extend the lead.

Double play #35 of the season💰

T2 | Mercer 1, ETSU 0#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/RnWID8jGhQ
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) April 16, 2023

Jackson Cherry hit a double off the wall in right center field that was nearly a home run. Treyson Hughes stepped up to the plate and sent one over the wall to score two more for the Bears.

Another day, another Mercer home run! @HughesTreyson hits one to right center

B2 | Mercer 3, ETSU 0#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/G35kxgU1Sl
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) April 16, 2023

Both teams stayed quiet in the third inning before the weekend's home run derby continued. Hughes walked and Antonio Brown successfully reached on a bunt to setup a three-run home run. Toth reached double figure home runs on the season with a shot to right center.

8⃣ RBI for @eric_toth19 this weekend after this 💣

B4 | Mercer 6, ETSU 0#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/JxwQ9WIQU1
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) April 16, 2023

Neither team scored for the next three innings until Tommy Barth hit a solo home run to left field to put the Bucs on the board. Lobus exited after 7.2 innings thrown with seven strikeouts and just one run allowed. ETSU also switched pitchers in the eighth as Cade Carlson took over the mound with Toth up first.

Toth hit his second home run of the day and third of the weekend for his ninth RBI against ETSU. The graduate student now leads the team in home runs with 11.

Have a weekend, @eric_toth19 😮‍💨

B8 | Mercer 7, ETSU 1#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/7s1zMC6zT7
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) April 16, 2023

The Bucs loaded the bases in the top of the ninth in an attempted comeback but only plated one on a sacrifice fly.

NOTES

Mercer scored nine home runs in the series against ETSU.
Eric Toth hit is 10^th and 11^th home runs of the season on Sunday to take the team lead.
All three of Toth's hits on Sunday were extra-base hits.
The Bears were walked 10 times on Sunday, tying a single-game season high.
Mercer turned its 35^th double play of the season.
Sunday's contest was the final game in an 11-game homestand for Mercer.
This was Mercer's third sweep of the season (Bellarmine, Baylor, ETSU) and seventh sweep of ETSU in series history.
This was ETSU's first weekend being swept this season.

SCORING SUMMARY
B1 | Mercer 1, ETSU 0                   Austin walked, scoring Hughes.
B2 | Mercer 3, ETSU 0                   Hughes homered to right center, scoring Cherry.
B4 | Mercer 6, ETSU 0                   Toth homered to right center, scoring Hughes and A. Brown.
T8 | Mercer 6, ETSU 1                   Barth homered to left field.
B8 | Mercer 7, ETSU 1                   Toth homered to left center.
T9 | Mercer 7, ETSU 2                   Gent flied out to right field, scoring Iannantone.

UP NEXT: Mercer is on the road next against Georgia State on Wednesday, April 19 at 6 p.m.

FOLLOW THE BEARS:
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