FGCU falls at Mercer 9-7
MACON, Ga. – The Florida Gulf Coast University baseball team lost to Mercer 9-7 Friday night in the first game of a three-game weekend series.
The win is Mercer’s first-ever win against the Eagles, who swept the Bears ina three-game set last season in the teams’ only previous meeting.
Craig Crumbly was tagged with the loss with 1 2/3 innings of relief in which he allowed four runs on four hits. The Bears’ Blake Mainor earned his third win of the season.
The Eagles (15-14, 8-5 A-Sun) took an early lead, scoring one in the first on a home run to left field by Josh Upchurch of Cape Coral.
In the third, the Eagles scored two runs as Josh Chester lead off with a double down the right field line. After a sacrifice bunt, Upchurch singled through the right side to score Chester. With two outs, Zach Maxfield drove Upchurch home to increase the lead to 3-1.
The Bears (10-12, 5-5) scored two in the bottom of the sixth to even the score at 4-4, and took the lead in the seventh with three runs, courtesy of an Eagle error.
Upchurch went 3-for-4 with four runs scored, one home run and two RBI.
The Eagles face Mercer in game two of the weekend series Saturday with the final game set for Sunday afternoon.