Bears Use Dominant Pitching, Timely Hitting To Take Series Over Tennessee Tech

Sunday, March 16

Macon, Ga.

1 p.m.

Mercer University

14-7

Tennessee Tech

15-6

Tennessee Tech

Mercer

Bears Use Dominant Pitching, Timely Hitting To Take Series Over Tennessee Tech

3/16/2025 5:07:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

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

MACON  –  Mercer pitchers limited Tennessee Tech to three hits and the offense used timely hitting to help the Bears take Sunday's rubber match over the Golden Eagles by a score of 6-3.

Five different Bears drove in runs, while Titan Kamaka (2-for-4), Brant Baughcum (2-for-4) and Ely Brown (2-for-4) had multi-hit days to power Mercer at the plate. Six members of the pitching staff took the mound, striking out 13 and allowing just two earned runs. Cade Cosper (2-0) earned the win with two shutout frames and Terry Busse notched his fifth save of the season by retiring all six hitters he faced. Lawson Stricklin (0-1) took the loss for Tennessee Tech.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Jess Ackerman got the starting nod for the Bears and worked a pair of scoreless innings to begin the afternoon. After going down quietly in the first, the Bears used a walk and a sac bunt to put a man in scoring position in the bottom of the second. With two outs in the inning, Brown came through with a base hit up the middle to plate the first run of the game.

The Golden Eagles answered back in the third, drawing a bases loaded HBP to tie things up at one. However, the Bears quickly reclaimed the lead when Kamaka lined a leadoff double down the left field line before coming around to score on an RBI groundout from Ty Dalley.

Following a 1-2-3 inning from Cosper in the top of the fourth, the Bears continued to work good at-bats in the home half. Zach Thomas got things started with a one-out single before advancing to second on a balk. In the next at-bat, Baughcum nearly left the yard, putting one off the wall in left center for an RBI double. Later in the inning, Kamaka came up with another two-out RBI, lacing a single up the middle to score Baughcum and push the lead to 4-1.

Tennessee Tech threatened again in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with one out. However, Collin Ewaldsen bore down for a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard. Despite coming up short in the sixth, Tennessee Tech struck for two runs in the seventh on a two-run home run to make it a one-run game.

Busse entered for the Bears in the top of the eighth and needed just six pitches to retire the side in order. Looking for some much-needed insurance runs, the Mercer offense went to work in the bottom of the inning, as Baughcum and Brown traded places with a pair of doubles to plate a run. Later in the frame, Drew Johnson lifted a fly ball to left field to score Brown and give the bears a three-run cushion.

Now working with some breathing room, Busse made quick work of the Eagles in the ninth to secure the win.

The Bears hit the road for a crucial week starting on Tuesday, taking on fifth-ranked Florida State in Tallahassee before heading to Charleston, S.C. over the weekend to take on The Citadel to open SoCon play.