STATESBORO, Ga. (Interstat) — Mercer erupted for 10 runs in the first inning and held off a seventh-run Georgia Southern rally to win 10-7 on Wednesday at J.I. Clements Stadium.

The Bears improved to 36-13, while the Eagles fell to 14-35. Jess Ackerman pitched three hitless innings with four strikeouts, earning top-star honors. Dylan LaPointe went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, his ninth of the season. Reid Fagerstrom, Lawson Cole and Collin Ewaldsen combined for 4⅓ scoreless relief innings.

Mercer sent 14 batters to the plate in the first, highlighted by LaPointe’s homer, a two-run single from Baughcum and a two-run single from Stephens. Logan Shepherd added a run-scoring double in the fifth.

Georgia Southern chipped away in the fourth on a solo homer by Christman, then scored six times in the fifth, including Christman’s RBI single and a two-run single by White. But Mercer’s bullpen shut down the Eagles after that. Shepherd finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.