Stephens Schedules Rubber Match With Seventh Inning Blast

Friday, April 3

Greensboro, N.C.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

23-8, 3-2

UNC Greensboro

13-18, 2-6

Mercer

UNCG

Stephens Schedules Rubber Match With Seventh Inning Blast

4/3/2026 11:41:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Rylee Bamberger, Rylee.m.bamberger@live.mercer.edu

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Seventh inning. Down by one. Two on, two out. 1-0 pitch is on the way. *THWACK* Eli Stephens rounds the bases after powering his eighth home run of the season to left field that powered the Mercer Bears (23-8, 3-2 SoCon) to a 9-7 win over the UNCG Spartans (13-18, 2-6 SoCon) on Friday night in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Decisive Plays:

UNC Greensboro got off to an early 3-0 lead by scoring in the opening inning for the second straight night. Mercer found itself in a five-run deficit after four innings before Logan Shepherd blasted a home run (9) to left-center field and gave the Bears their first two runs of the ball game. Brant Baughcum tacked on another run in the top of the sixth inning with a solo home run (7). The Spartans responded with a two-run homer of their own in the home half of the sixth. The Bears entered the seventh inning down four runs before Michael Graziano ripped a double in the right-center gap that scored Dylan LaPointe. Mercer loaded the bases and Baughcum tacked on his second RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly later in the inning. Titan Kamaka kept the two-out rally going with an RBI single laced through the infield before Stephens stepped to the plate and delivered the go-ahead three-run blast.

Key Contributors:

Eli Stephens: 1-for-3, 3 RBI, HR, BB
Logan Shepherd: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, HR, 2 R, HBP
Brant Baughcum: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, HR, R
Dylan LaPointe: 2-for-3, 2 R, HBP
Lawson Cole: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, W, 55 NP

Next Game:

The Bears conclude their series against UNCG with a rubber match on Saturday, April 4. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. RHP Jeb Johnson (1-1, 4.76 ERA) will take the mound for Mercer and RHP Hunter Shuey (1-4, 6.41 ERA) will start for the Spartans. Live stats are available here. You can watch live with ESPN+.