ATLANTA, Ga. – A pair of big innings propelled No. 3 Georgia Tech to a 19-4 win over the Mercer baseball team on Wednesday evening at historic Russ Chandler Stadium.

Georgia Tech improves to 18-2 overall after the win, while Mercer drops to 14-9 overall after the loss.

"We knew coming in that tonight was going to be a challenge, playing a team of Georgia Tech's caliber at their place," head coach Craig Gibson said. "The errors were certainly disappointing because I know we are a better team than that and we need to play better defense moving forward."

The Bears jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning off Tech starter Buck Farmer. After a leadoff walk to senior Tyler McCarty and back-to-back singles by senior Nick DiMauro and sophomore Jacob Tanis, junior Thomas Carroll delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to make the score 1-0 Mercer.

The Yellow Jackets responded in the bottom of the second with a seven-run rally off Bears starter David Randall to take a comfortable 7-1 lead. Tech banged out seven hits in the frame, including two triples, which was aided by two Mercer errors.

Mercer hung around though, scraping together a pair of runs in the top of the third. McCarty got the rally going once again with a leadoff single, DiMauro was hit by a pitch and Carroll followed with an RBI single through the right side to make the score 7-2. Senior Michael Langley made the score 7-3 just moments later when he lifted a sacrifice fly to right center field.

Every time the Bears tried to get back in the game, however, Tech had an answer. The Jackets blew the game open with another huge inning in the fourth, collecting six runs in the frame that was once again aided by an inconsistent Mercer defense. Two more errors in the inning led to four of the six runs scored being unearned. Junior Thomas Nichols capped the scoring in the inning with a two-RBI double, increasing the Jackets lead up to 13-3.

After Tech scored four more runs in the bottom of the fifth, Mercer got back on the board in the top of the sixth. Junior John Moreland clubbed a double to right center and classmate Joe Winker drove him in with an RBI single to cut the deficit down to 17-4.

Tanis and freshman Evan Boyd each had two hits apiece in a losing effort.

"We need our guys to have a short memory going forward and come out on Friday ready to play against the defending A-Sun champs," said Gibson.

Mercer will be back in action this weekend when it travels to Jacksonville for a key Atlantic Sun Conference series with the Dolphins. Game one of the three-game set is scheduled for Friday evening at 6:30 p.m.