BOX SCORE (PDF)
MACON, Ga. – The Samford baseball team fell in its Southern Conference series opener at Mercer Friday night by a score of 7-2 at OrthoGeorgia Park.
With the loss, Samford falls to 33-14 overall and 13-3 in Southern Conference play. Mercer improves to 25-20 overall and 12-7 in league play.
FROM THE BOX SCORE
- Branden Fryman homered and drove in one run in a 1-for-4 performance at the plate.
- Max Pinto also drove in a run, going 1-for-3 for the Bulldogs.
- Samuel Strickland (6-2) pitched 3.0 innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on five hits to take the loss on the mound for Samford.
- Angelo DiSpigna led Mercer, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, including a grand slam, and six RBI.
- Sawyer Gipson (6-3) earned the win on the mound for Mercer, tossing 8.0 innings and giving up two runs on four hits and recording nine strikeouts.
SCORING SUMMARY
- Samford got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third inning. Pinto singled to drive in Taylor Garris to give Samford a 1-0 lead.
- Mercer responded with four runs in the bottom of the third on a grand slam by DiSpigna to give the Bears a 4-1 lead.
- Mercer added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to push its lead to 5-1.
- Samford plated another run in the top of the fifth inning on a solo home run by Fryman to cut the Mercer lead to 5-2.
- DiSpigna hit his second home run of the game, this one a two-run shot, to make the score 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
LOOKING AHEAD
Due to expected inclement weather in the Macon area on Sunday, the teams will play a doubleheader Saturday to wrap up the series. The first game of the twin bill is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (CT).