Bears Drop Series Opener To Wofford

Friday, May 2

Spartanburg, S.C.

5:30 p.m.

Mercer University

30-18, 9-7

Wofford

26-21, 4-9

Mercer

Wofford

5/2/2025 10:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

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

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Mercer baseball team was unable to overcome an early deficit on Friday night, dropping the series opener to Wofford by a score of 7-4.

Parker Lester (3-for-5) and Titan Kamaka (3-for-4) had three-hit days to pace the Bears at the plate. Colton Cosper (6-2) tossed six innings for the fifth consecutive start, but took the loss. Alec Bouchard earned the win for Wofford.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wofford grabbed the lead in the first inning, using a two-run homer to take an early advantage. The Terriers added to the lead in the second, pushing across another run to make it a 3-0 ballgame.

The Mercer offense responded with a run of their own in the top of the third, with Bradley Frye driving in Brant Baughcum with an RBI groundout. However, the Terriers continued to score in the bottom of the inning, using three hits to plate two more runs and make the score 5-1.

Cosper settled into the game in the fourth, putting up a much-needed zero with a 1-2-3 inning. The Bears threatened in the top of the fifth, putting runners on the corners with two out, but a groundout ended the inning and kept the Bears off the board.

In the bottom of the fifth, Wofford used a pair of singles to put runners on first and third with one out. The Terriers attempted to push across a run with a squeeze bunt, but Baughcum made a barehanded play from third base and flipped to catcher Zack Thompson to prevent the run from scoring.

The Bears got a run back in the sixth, as Lester led off the inning with a single before scoring on a single from Kamaka, who worked a nine-pitch at-bat to drive in the run. Cosper's day came to an end after the sixth, picking up two strikeouts to retire the side in order.

Mercer scratched across another run in the seventh to inch closer, with Baughcum scoring on a throwing error. Andrew Garnett took over on the mound in the bottom of the inning and stranded a runner at second to put up a zero.

Kamaka's big night continued in the top of the eight with a double off the left field wall. Following a single by Michael Graziano, Ely Brown delivered a sac fly to score Kamaka and cut the deficit to one.

However, the Terriers delivered a haymaker in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two insurance runs on four hits and an error. The 7-4 score is where things would end, with Wofford locking things down in the top of the ninth.

UP NEXT

Mercer and Wofford will square off again tomorrow for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.