Late-Game Surge Helps Bears Top Flashes

Friday, February 21

Macon, Ga.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

4-1

Kent State

1-3

Kent State

Mercer

2/21/2025 8:01:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

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

MACON – Entering the bottom of the sixth inning down by a run, the Mercer baseball team rallied with four runs in the sixth inning and two runs in the seventh inning to take game one of the series against Kent State on Friday night at OrthoGeorgia Park by a score of 9-5. The win marked the fourth consecutive victory for the Bears.

Freshman Kai Decker (3-for-4) had a three-hit day, including his first career home run, while Bradley Frye (3-for-5) drove in a pair of runs in his own three-hit effort to power the Bears offensively. Left-hander Jess Ackerman (1-0) dominated in relief to pick up the win, limiting Kent State to one run with seven strikeouts across 4-1/3 innings. Benny Roebuck (0-1) took the loss for the Golden Flashes.

Mercer jumped ahead in the bottom of the first inning when Brant Baughcum drilled an RBI single to left field to score Frye and Parker Lester. After Mercer starter Colton Cosper worked his second clean inning of the game in the top of the second, the Bears threatened again in the bottom of the frame, as Titan Kamaka and Decker led off the inning with a pair of singles. However, Kamaka would be caught stealing at third base and Kent State starter Gavin Jones induced a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Bears at bay.

The Flashes came to life offensively in the third inning, picking up four hits to push across two runs and tie the score. Kent State continued to generate offense in the top of the fourth, tacking on two more runs to take a 4-2 lead.

The Bears punched back in the home half of the fourth, as Decker swatted his first career homer on a screaming line drive over the wall in right center to make the score 4-3. Ackerman entered in relief of Cosper in the fifth, working a quick 1-2-3 inning to quiet the Kent State bats.

After another shutdown frame from Ackerman in the sixth, the Mercer offense went to work in the home half. With one out in the inning, Decker collected a single for his third hit of the day to get things started. Hitting behind Decker, Zack Thompson ripped his second double in as many games to put two runners in scoring position with one out. However, Decker would be thrown out trying to score on a ground ball to third in the next at-bat, and it appeared as if the Bears may come up empty. With two outs in the inning, Bradley Frye stepped in for the Bears and reached on an infield single to load the bases for Parker Lester. In the biggest at-bat of the game so far, Lester worked the count full before watching a fastball off the plate for ball four, allowing Thompson to score and tie the game at four. With the bases still loaded, Ty Dalley stepped up to the plate and delivered a base hit to left field to score Frye and Ely Brown, giving the Bears the lead at 6-4. Mercer added their fourth run of the inning in the next at-bat when Baughcum reached on an error before the Flashes were finally able to get out of the inning with a strikeout.

Following the big inning by his offense, Ackerman proceeded to shut down the Flashes in the top of the seventh, picking up a strikeout in a shutdown inning. The Bears offense went back to work in the bottom of the frame, as a pair of walks from Thompson and Brown set up Frye for a two RBI double to center field to stretch the lead to five.

The dominant outing from Ackerman continued in the eighth when the lefty retired the side with three swinging strikeouts. Ackerman went back out for the ninth to try to close the game and recorded two outs, but ran out of steam after allowing an RBI single to end his night. Terry Busse entered with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, as the Flashes looked poised for a late rally. Seemingly unaffected by the pressure-packed situation, the veteran calmly induced a flyout to right field to seal the 9-4 win for the Bears and pick up his first save in the Orange & Black.

The Bears look to earn their fifth straight win and take the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. at OrthoGeorgia Park. Fans can get their tickets ahead of time and skip the line by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.