GREENVILLE, S.C. – Despite an early deficit, the No. 7 Wofford baseball team fought back against No. 4 Mercer Friday night at Fluor Field, but the comeback push fell just short in an 8-6 defeat. The loss eliminates the Terriers from the Southern Conference Championship presented by Holston Gases as Wofford ends its season at 33-27. Mercer improves to 34-24 as it advances in the bracket.
 
Three Terriers pitched with Dylan Rhadans (0-3) suffering the loss after allowing seven runs. Sheldon Egger pitched a career-high 6.1 innings out of the bullpen with just one run allowed on five hits, no walks, and two strikeouts. Carter Rasmussen hurled a scoreless inning of work.
 
Colton Cosper (7-2) claimed the win after pitching a complete game for Mercer.
 
The Bears had four more hits in the contest, 12-8. Tyler Bak and Tyler Hare led the way with two hits apiece. Both of Hare's hits were home runs, pushing his season total to a team-leading six. He led the way with three RBI tonight as Bak added two and Ryan Wynn picked up one.
 
Mercer wasted no time getting on the board, batting around and scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first for a quick 7-0 advantage.
 
Wofford responded in the top of the second when Tyler Hare roped a homer over the right center wall. The 398-foot, 105-mile-per-hour blast cut the score to 7-1.
 
The Terriers got one more run back in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly by Ryan Wynn, making the margin 7-2.
 
In the top of the fifth, Wofford pulled closer with two more runs. With two runners on, Niko Brini delivered a single to center that pushed both home to trim the score further to 7-4.
 
Mercer got a run back in the seventh with an RBI single, making the margin 8-4.
 
The Wofford comeback push continued in the top of the eighth. Ben Timblin singled, and Hare went yard again with a 355-foot opposite-field shot, pulling the Terriers within two at 8-6.
 
The Terriers faced a last-ditch effort in the top of the ninth and were unable to push anything across, ultimately falling 8-6.
 
The Wofford season ends with the Terriers eclipsing 30 wins for a seventh-straight campaign, the longest active streak in the Southern Conference. The Terriers will return to the diamond next February.