Samford Takes Series Opener

Thursday, May 18

Macon, Ga.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

Samford University

5/18/2023 9:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Mercer reached 100 home runs on the season

By: Amanda Cover

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer baseball program (32-21, 13-6) dropped the series opener to Samford (30-22, 13-6), 5-4, on Thursday night at OrthoGeorgia Park. The Bears hit the 100 home run mark with three blasts.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Colton Cosper opened the first inning with two strikeouts and retired the side in the second with just 11 pitches. He continued his steady performance with another pair of strikeouts in the third inning.

.@ColtonCosper putting in the work tonight.#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/btlTF7QjkO
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 18, 2023

Samford broke the deadlock in the top of the fourth with a solo shot by Stephen Klein. A double by Kaden Dreier scored two runners who reached on singles to extend the Bulldogs' lead to three. Samford added another run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Josh Rodriguez.

The home run fest for the Bears started in the sixth with Ty Dalley's 16^th home run of the season.

Dalley Dinger😎 @TDalley11 puts the Bears on the board

B6 | Mercer 1, Samford 4#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/qrmo3hGbtv
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 19, 2023

A few batters later, Eric Toth sent a two-run shot to center field to bring the Bears within one. Toth is now tied for the team-lead with 17 homers. Garrett Sloan entered on the bump in the seventh and struck out two.

IT'S TOTH TIME ALRIGHT💣 @eric_toth19 gets the Bears back within one

B6 | Mercer 3, Samford 4#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/JYod3QyOKh
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 19, 2023

With Mercer's 100^th home run of the season, Bradley Frye tied the game at four apiece in the bottom of the seventh. This was Frye's second home run of the season.

Mercer's 💯 home run of the season, courtesy of @BradleyFrye01

B7 | Mercer 4, Samford 4#GoodToGreat || #WinnersWin pic.twitter.com/SLJSo80W5P
— Mercer Baseball (@MercerBaseball) May 19, 2023

A walk for Carter Sanford, an intentional walk of Jackson Cherry, and a single by Frye loaded the bases for the Bears in the eighth, but the Bulldogs got out of the inning unscathed. Samford retook the lead in the top of the ninth with a single by Jayden Davis.

Antonio Brown opened the ninth with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on the throw while Toth was at the plate. Toth walked to place runners on the corners, but Mercer could not plate any as Samford won, 5-4.

NOTES

Ty Dalley hit his 16^th home run of the season.
Eric Toth hit is 17^th home run of the season, tying the team-lead.
Bradley Frye hit his second home run of the season and Mercer's 100^th of the year.
Treyson Hughes is on a 15-game hitting streak and has reached base in 19-straight games.
Jozsef Rohrbacher has reached base in 15-straight games.

SCORING SUMMARY
T4 | Mercer 0, Samford 1                            Klein homered to right center.
T4 | Mercer 0, Samford 3                            Dreier doubled down the left field line, scoring Anderson and Howe.
T6 | Mercer 0, Samford 4                            Rodriguez singled to center field, scoring Dreier.
B6 | Mercer 1, Samford 4                            Dalley homered to right center.
B6 | Mercer 3, Samford 4                            Toth homered to center field, scoring A. Brown.
B7 | Mercer 4, Samford 4                            Frye homered to right center.
T9 | Mercer 4, Samford 5                            Davis singled to center field, scoring Staton.

UP NEXT: Mercer and Samford continue the series on Friday, May 19 at 6 p.m. at OrthoGeorgia Park.

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.