8 MERCER 3-4 •0-0 SoCon

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E 1 1 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 8 10 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 2 Daytona Beach, Fla. • Jackie Robinson Ballpark Attendance:102 Final Stats | Season Stats

3 BETHUNE-COOKMAN 0-6 • 0-0 MEAC

	Pitching Stats
		L	A. Seibold (0-1)
		W	C. Herd (1-0)
	Batting Stats
	2B
		Bond (3)
		Edgeworth, Joe, Homer
	3B
		Truitt
	HR
		Joe
	RBI
		Bond, Olszewski
		Joe (3), Truitt (2), Bonin, Homer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Nathan Bond was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate Saturday, but it was not enough to overcome a strong Mercer pitching performance as a staff, as Bethune-Cookman dropped the second game of a three-game set against the Bears by a score of 8-3 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. With the win, Mercer claimed the series after collecting a 3-2 decision in last night's home-opener for the Wildcats.

For the fourth consecutive game, Bethune-Cookman (0-6) allowed double-digit hits, and it produced a near double-digit score for the visiting Mercer Bears on Saturday afternoon.

After Mercer (3-4) got on the board in the top of the first inning, the Wildcats battled back in the bottom of the frame to knot it up at 1-all.

Nathan Bond collected one of his game-high four hits with a RBI single, allowing teammate Brandon Wilkes to score from second as the ball was rocketed off shortstop Matt Meeder's glove and rolled into the outfield.

B-CU starting pitcher Alex Seibold was touched again in the top-half of the second when Mercer first baseman Howard Joe registered a leadoff home run to left field, advancing the Bears back out in front, 2-1.

Mercer got the bats going again in the fourth, using an error on the first at-bat from Charlie Madden – the error charged to the B-CU outfield, that would come back to be costly for the Wildcats.

A two-out rally was started off the bat of Devin Bonin as he crossed Danny Edgeworth from second on a single to centerfield. Bonin then found himself in scoring position after a failed pickoff attempt from Seibold, as he scampered all the way to third on the play. In the next at-bat, it was designated hitter Tyler Homer delivering a RBI double inside the bag at third to drive in Bonin for the 4-1 Bears advantage. After Meeder was hit by a pitch in his next at-bat, Mercer's Trey Truitt pounded out a bases-clearing triple to put the Bears up, 6-1, abruptly ending the day for Seibold on the hill.

Bethune-Cookman countered in the bottom-half of the frame.

Bond doubled down the left field line to put himself into scoring position early-on, and then came around to score on a dropped fly ball. Catcher Zach Olszewski brought around Jordan Thomas, who reached on the errant dropped fly, two batters later with a single to left, bringing the Cats to within 6-3 after four innings complete.

With B-CU reliever Alexis Herrera working for the Wildcats in the fifth, the Bears added two insurance runs to finalize the day's scoring.

After Nate Moorhouse walked and Edgeworth doubled to right, Joe picked up his second and third RBI of the day with a double to left field, giving the Bears the final 8-3 decision.

Connor Herd earned the win for the Bears, working 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits and collecting a pair of strikeouts. With the win, he improved his record at 1-0 on the year. Meanwhile, B-CU starter Seibold took the loss in earning his first decision of the campaign, tossing just 3 2/3 innings, and allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits and striking out five batters against one walk.

Byron Ferguson, a junior pitcher from Nassau, Bahamas, looked sharp in his season debut, working 2 1/3 innings in relief, striking out three, walking one and not allowing a single hit. Juan Pizarro toed the mound the final two frames for the Cats, spreading out two hits and striking out one.

Bethune-Cookman was led at the plate by Bond's 4-for-4 day, adding a RBI. He was followed by designated hitter Jordan Robinson with a pair of hits in four trips.

Mercer was led by Joe's two-hit, three-RBI day, as well as Meeder with a 2-for-3 showing, crossing home once in the process.

The Wildcats will look to snap their current seven-game skid – dating back to last year, in the series finale against the Bears on Sunday at noon, back at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

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