SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford baseball team attempted to put together a late rally in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday afternoon, but the Terriers could only claim a run in the final frame, ultimately falling 10-8 to Mercer at Russell C. King Field. Wofford falls to 34-16 (9-8 SoCon) while Mercer improves to 30-20 (12-5 SoCon) and wins the series.
 
Terrier starter Charlie Weber (2-1) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings. He struck out two.
 
Bear starter Josh Farmer (5-3) took the win after 6.2 innings with five runs allowed on seven hits and three walks. Ryan Lobus (2) earned a save in relief, pitching the final 0.2 innings.
 
The Terriers notched nine hits but were out-hit by Mercer's 14. Try Yunger and David Wiley led the Wofford offensive efforts with two hits and an RBI each. Ryan Galanie hit a solo homer in the contest, and Andrew Mannelly tallied three RBI, two of which came on his two-run long ball. Aaron Thomas also added a two-run homer as a pinch-hitter. Both of Wiley's hit went for extra bases, as the sophomore knocked a triple and a double.
 
The ball was flying out of the park this afternoon, as both clubs combined for eight homers in the affair. Mercer hit five while Wofford lifted three.
 
After a scoreless first, Wofford opened the scoring with two runs in the second. David Wiley hit a triple that scored Cameron Gill for the early lead. Andrew Mannelly added to the lead with RBI on an infield grounder, making the early margin 2-0.
 
But Mercer responded in the third to take the lead. Back-to-back homers, one of which was a two-run blast, gave the Bears a 3-2 advantage.
 
Mannelly clubbed a two-run shot of his own in the fourth to flip the score once more and give Wofford a 4-3 lead.
 
In the fifth, Mercer would record back-to-back homers for a second time, with one again going for two runs. The Bears reclaimed the edge, 6-4.
 
Another two-run home run for Mercer in the sixth extended its lead to 8-4.
 
The Terriers kept fighting, as Ryan Galanie powered a solo home run in the seventh to pull Wofford within 8-5.
 
The sides kept trading blows, as Mercer scored on an RBI groundout in the top of the eighth, and Wofford utilized a two-run blast off the bat of Aaron Thomas in the bottom of the frame. The score was 9-7 entering the ninth.
 
A sacrifice fly in the top of the inning gave Mercer an insurance run, making the score 10-7.
 
Wofford attempted a rally in the bottom of the frame, as Marshall Toole worked a walk and later scored on single by Trey Yunger. But that was all the Terriers could get, as the Bears locked down to claim the series with a 10-8 win.
 
The teams meet one final time tomorrow afternoon in the Sunday finale. Wofford looks to salvage the series on Senior Day with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Terriers will honor their nine seniors prior to the contest at Russell C. King Field.