Bears Drop Season Opener To Milwaukee

Friday, February 14

Macon, Ga.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

0-1

Milwaukee

1-0

Milwaukee

Mercer

2/14/2025 8:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Donovan Schultz, donovan.schultz@live.mercer.edu

MACON – Mercer left-handed pitchers Colton Cosper and Jess Ackerman combined for 14 strikeouts on the mound, but the Bears offense was limited to five hits in a 6-3 loss to Milwaukee in Friday night's season-opener.

Cosper (0-1) took the loss for Mercer, surrendering four earned runs on six hits, two walks and six strikeouts in four innings. Gavin Theis (1-0) earned the win for the Panthers, allowing two earned runs on three hits, one walk and three strikeouts In 5 – 1/3 innings. Matthew Mueller picked up the save for Milwaukee, striking out six with one earned run in 3 - 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Parker Lester and Bradley Frye each homered for the Bears, while Ty Dalley added an RBI double.

Milwaukee used three consecutive hits to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Colton Cosper came through with back-to-back strikeouts to strand runners at second and third. In the bottom half of the frame, Dalley, the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year, smoked a two-out double to center field to score Ely Brown and level the score at one.

Following the first inning threat, Cosper found his footing by striking out the side in the second. In the bottom of the inning, Lester announced his presence with authority, crushing a no-doubt home run to right field to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.

Milwaukee answered back in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with nobody out before a 6-4-3 double play plated a run to make the score 2-2. An inning later, the Panthers chased Cosper before Charlie Marion delivered a two RBI single against Ackerman to move Milwaukee back in front.

Ackerman worked two shutout frames in the sixth and seventh, but Milwaukee's Camden Kunke came up with the biggest swing of the game with two outs in the top of the eighth, driving a two-run home run over the left field wall to push the lead to 6-2.

Mercer would not go down without a fight, however. In the bottom of the eighth, Frye hit his first home run of the season, an opposite field blast to right center to get a run back for the Bears. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Florida State transfer Titan Kamaka slapped a hard-hit double into the left field corner to put a man in scoring position. However, Mueller was able to coerce a fly out to secure the save.

The Bears will be back in action tomorrow at 2 p.m. for game two against Milwaukee before wrapping up the series on Sunday at noon. Fans can get their tickets ahead of time and skip the line by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.