The Mercer Bears upset the fifth-ranked Florida State Seminoles 9-3 on Tuesday night. Left-handed pitcher Payton Manca started for the Seminoles, while right-handed pitcher Jeb Johnson took the mound for the Bears.
The Bears quickly jumped to a 2-0 lead after Bradley Frye hit a home run to center field. Manca struggled in the first inning, walking two batters and allowing a home run. The Seminoles’ pitching issues continued as they allowed two more home runs by the third inning, giving the Bears a 6-0 lead. Meanwhile, Johnson was dominant for Mercer, recording five strikeouts in the first few innings.
By the halfway point of the game, the Seminoles had only one hit, which is highly unusual for this powerhouse team. They continued to struggle at the plate, with Johnson racked up eight strikeouts. Meanwhile, the Seminoles had already gone through four pitchers.
In the sixth inning, with hope fading, Max Williams hit a three-run home run to keep Florida State in the game, narrowing the score to 7-3.
By the seventh-inning stretch, the Bears held an 8-3 lead and continued to dominate with seven hits compared to the Seminoles’ three. Florida State’s struggles were evident, as wild pitches and poor fielding mistakes continued to pile up, leaving the Seminoles to battle against both Mercer and their own errors.
In the ninth inning, the Seminoles couldn’t seem to shake off their mistakes, as another error allowed the Bears to extend their lead to 9-3. This is far from the usual standard we’re accustomed to seeing from this team. However, we can expect Tuesday night’s performance to be an outlier in what will still be a great season for Florida State.
The Bears deserve all the credit for capitalizing on the Seminoles’ mistakes, consistently putting runners on base through a combination of hit-by-pitches and nine hits.
The Seminoles are now 18-2 on the season and will look to bounce back in their upcoming series against the rival Miami Hurricanes. First pitch will be Thursday at 7:00 p.m. from Coral Gables.