Baylor Baseball Swept by Mercer, Loses Finale 6-3

WACO, Texas – Baylor Baseball (5-11) dropped the series finale to Mercer (12-5), 6-3, on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

The weekend sweep to Mercer marks the second time in four series that the Bears have been swept. In the three games against Mercer, Baylor was outhit, 35-to-18, and outscored, 24-to-9.

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Junior LHP Cam Caley struck out a career-high eight batters on Sunday.

In Sunday’s loss, freshman INF Kolby Branch extended his on-base streak to 16 games with a 2-4 performance. Branch accounted for two of BU’s six hits on the afternoon.

“I just think we went through way too many innings on offense today where it was very frustrating,” coach Mitch Thompson said after the loss.

“1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. Very few innings where we really struck balls well and made an adjustment. I give Mercer all the credit in the world, but I think at the same time we've got to be better."

Junior Cam Caley started on the mound for the Bears in the series finale and pitched great up until the fifth inning.

In the top of the fifth, Baylor’s two-out woes continued when Mercer picked up three straight hits to extend its lead to 3-0.

Thirteen of Mercer’s 24 runs on the weekend came with two outs.

Caley finished walking three and allowing three earned runs and seven hits in 4.2 innings pitched while striking out a career-high eight batters.

Mercer’s starter, Josh Farmer, had a 7.71 ERA and had given up 21 hits and 10 earned runs in 11.2 innings pitched entering Sunday. Baylor’s offense was only able to record four hits and one walk against Farmer in seven innings of work.

MU added runs in each of the sixth and eighth innings to extend the lead to 6-0.

Redshirt freshman Jack Johnson delivered a pinch-hit RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to give the Bears their first run of the day.

Junior Will Pendergrass added a two-run homer down the left field line in the bottom of the ninth, his first of the season.

“This is going to be the way that we feel until we do something about it,” Thompson said. “There are things that we can control that we've got to control. And if we don't, then they end up coming back and haunting us, both at the plate and on the mound and that's kind of what you see. We're finding ways to get beat, and we're going to have to find ways to win.”

Final: Mercer 6 - Baylor 3

W: Josh Farmer (1-1) L: Cam Caley (0-3) S: Holton McGaha (1)

POTG: Kolby Branch 2-4

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor Baseball (5-11) will face Rice (7-8) for a midweek contest at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark.