MACON, Ga. – The Wofford College baseball team took a 14-10 win over Mercer at Claude Smith Field on a cold Sunday afternoon. The start of the game was delayed by an hour due to rain. Once underway the Terriers took an early lead, but the game was tied at 9 after four innings. Wofford had a 14-10 lead after the top of the ninth. Mercer loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but a fly ball ended the game.
 
Wofford is now 16-9 on the season and 1-2 in the Southern Conference. Mercer is 19-6 overall and 2-1 in league play. Andrew Orzel led the Terriers with four hits and four RBIs, while Alec Cargin added three RBIs and Alex Malsch had three hits. The Bears had five players with two hits each and three players with two RBIs each.
 
Brett Rodriguez opened the game with a walk and McClain Bradley followed with a single. The runners moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt and with two outs a single up the middle by Andrew Orzel gave Wofford a 2-0 lead. The Bears left one runner on base to end the first inning.
 
A single by Max McDougald to lead off the second inning was followed by a home run by Alec Cargin over the fence in right field. It was his second home run of the season as Wofford took a 4-0 advantage. A pair of strikeouts ended the top of the second with two Wofford runners stranded. The Bears led off the bottom of the second with a single. Following a fielder's choice, a double had runners in scoring position. A single with two outs drove in both runners to cut the lead to 4-2 at the end of two innings.
 
Singles by Andrew Orzel and Max McDougald, followed by a walk to Alec Cargin, loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third. A double off the wall in left field by Alex Malsch drove in two runs for a 6-2 lead. Brett Rodriguez followed with a double that added two runs to give Wofford an 8-2 advantage. Trey Truitt hit a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the third. With two outs, a pair of walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Mercer before a ground out ended the inning.
 
In the top of the fourth, Cody Miller walked and Andrew Orzel singled to lead off. A bunt single by Colin Davis loaded the bases. A fielder's choice had the lead runner out at home for the first out. A sacrifice fly by Alec Cargin added a run for a 9-3 lead, but a caught stealing ended the top half. The Bears had the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth with two outs. A single drove in two runs to make it a 9-5 game. A wild pitch scored a run and an RBI double cut the lead to 9-7. A two-run homer by Drew Lingo tied the game at nine before a strikeout ended the fourth inning.
 
The Terriers had singles from Alex Malsch and Brett Rodriguez to open the fifth inning. A double steal advanced the runners and then a single by McClain Bradley gave Wofford a 10-9 advantage. A walk by Mack Nathanson loaded the bases and Andrew Orzel was hit by a pitch to plate a run. A full count walk by Colin Davis allowed a run to score for a 12-9 lead before a double play ended the top half. The Bears stranded one in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Both teams left one man on base in the sixth inning after singles. With one out in the top of the seventh, Cody Miller hit a solo home run for a 13-9 lead. It was his fourth home run of the season. Mercer responded with a solo home run by Alex Hanson with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Wofford left one on base in the top of the eighth and Mercer was retired in order in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, Mack Nathanson was hit by a pitch and stole second. He moved to third on a ground out and with two outs scored on a double by Andrew Orzel for a 14-10 advantage. The Bears had a double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and added a single for runners on the corners. A walk loaded the bases. With the tying run at the plate, a fly ball ended the game.
 
Grant Byers started for the Terriers and went 3.2 innings with seven runs allowed on seven hits, while striking out three batters. Matt Ellmyer (5-0) worked 4.1 innings and allowed three runs on four hits, along with three strikeouts. Anthony Garcia closed the game by allowing two hits in the final inning.
 
Mercer starting pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long threw 1.1 innings with four runs allowed on five hits, along with two strikeouts. Kevin Coulter went 1.2 innings and gave up four runs on four hits, with three strikeouts. Taylor Lobus had a third of an inning on the mound with one run allowed on two hits. Tanner Hall (0-1) went two-thirds of an inning with two runs allowed on two hits. Christian Vann went an inning with one run allowed on two hits. Zach Graveno allowed one run on one hit in two innings, striking out two batters. Nick Spear added an inning with two strikeouts. Carter Varga gave up one run in the ninth on one hit, along with a strikeout.
 
Wofford will host Winthrop on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. before a home Southern Conference series against Western Carolina beginning on Thursday night.