Mercer erupted for 11 runs in the second inning Friday evening and defeated Alcorn 16-4 in the first game of a three-game series at OrthoGeorgia Park in Macon, Georgia, according to team reports.
Alcorn showed early promise when Rayfield Adams III drew a leadoff walk and stole second in the top of the first but failed to push a run across. Mercer responded quickly, sending 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the second inning, pounding Alcorn starter Jacob Wingard and reliever José Cherena for 11 runs on 12 hits.
Brant Baughcum doubled home two runs, and Braydon Kersey capped the inning with a two-run homer to right field, giving Mercer an 8-0 lead. The Bears led 11-0 after two innings. Wingard took the loss, falling to 0-3 after allowing seven runs, six earned, on six hits in 1.1 innings.
Six Mercer pitchers combined to surrender 16 runs on 16 hits and issued 10 walks. Garrett Lambert earned his first win of the season, tossing four dominant innings, striking out nine Braves while allowing two hits and one earned run.
Alcorn scored its first run in the third inning when Jaylyn Bennett singled home Adams. Bennett finished 3-for-4 with an RBI. Mercer added three insurance runs in the fourth, highlighted by solo home runs from Eli Stephens and Chris Katz, pushing the lead to 14-1.
The Braves responded with two runs in the sixth on Christian Dunn’s RBI double and a Mercer error. They added a final run in the seventh when pinch hitter Derek Patterson doubled home Julian Jarrett. Jarrett went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored. Adams drew two walks, stole a base, and scored a run for Alcorn.
Mercer’s Devyn McEachron led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, adding a run and an RBI. The two teams are scheduled to meet again Saturday at 2 p.m. Eastern time at OrthoGeorgia Park. Follow Alcorn State Sports on Twitter (@BravesSports) and other social channels for updates.
