MACON, Ga. – The High Point University baseball team fell to the Mercer Bears, 7-1, in game one of its two game series on Friday night.
 
Site: OrthoGeorgia Park
Score: High Point 1, Mercer 7
Records: High Point (8-2), Mercer (9-1)
 
Head Coach Joey Hammond: "I'm a competitor and it was disappointing to get beat. It was a really good game early on. Hats off to Mercer, they pitched really well and felt like they played cleaner than us. They played harder and tougher than us. I felt like Wade (Walton) did a fantastic job and we had a real opportunity, just couldn't get a hit. We had an opportunity early in the first, and late in the game. We couldn't cash in the middle of the order. We're going to have to have a quick turnaround and recover, lick our wounds and get back after it again tomorrow."
 
Wade Walton got the ball on Friday night in game one against the Bears. Walton looked solid out on the mound, especially after getting out of a first inning bases loaded jam. Walton went on to throw 4.2 innings of work, allowing five hits, two runs, and striking out seven batters.
 
It was a tight ballgame between both teams as it was a pitching duel for the first four innings. High Point had a few chances early to put some runs on the board but would fall short with two outs.
 
The Bears piled in two runs in the bottom of the fourth off two singles to center field to put the first two runs on the board. Mercer's offense started to come alive once HPU went into its bullpen. The Bears tallied three more runs in the sixth inning off an RBI double down the left field line and a SAC fly to center. The Bears seventh run of the night came off a two run home run over the right field wall.
 
HPU was down to its last strike before Jake McCarter blasted a no doubt home run to left center to avoid the shutout on Friday night.
 
Up Next: High Point will face Florida A&M University tomorrow for a 12:00 p.m. start at OrthoGeorgia Park.