GREENVILLE, S.C. (Interstat) — Kaleb Huffman’s pinch-hit two-run home run in the seventh inning and Chris Katz’s inside-the-park homer in the eighth lifted Mercer to a 9-8 victory over Wofford on Thursday evening at Fluor Field at the West End.

The Bears improved to 44-14 overall and 22-6 in the Southern Conference. The Terriers fell to 34-22 and 16-12.

Mercer took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a run-scoring groundout by Eli Stephens and a run-scoring double by Ty Baughcum. Wofford answered with three runs in the second on a bases-loaded single by center fielder Niko Brini.

The Bears regained the lead in the third. Baughcum’s double-play grounder scored Katz to tie the game, and Braydon Kersey doubled to drive in Stephens, making it 4-3.

Wofford struck back in the fourth. With two outs and runners on second and third, left fielder Logan Tribble doubled to right-center, scoring two runs to put the Terriers ahead 5-4. Catcher Lucas Manning led off the fifth with a solo home run to right-center, extending the lead to 6-4. Tribble added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 7-4.

Mercer chipped away in the bottom of the sixth. Stephens singled through the right side with two outs, scoring two unearned runs after a fielding error, cutting the deficit to 7-6.

Wofford added an insurance run in the seventh. First baseman Dixon Hardin singled to left to score Eli, giving the Terriers an 8-6 lead.

The Bears mounted their comeback in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Austin Laughlin. After a walk and a wild pitch, Kaleb Huffman, pinch-hitting for Kaden Graziano, drove a 2-0 pitch over the right-field fence for his second home run of the season, tying the game at 8-8.

In the eighth, Katz led off with an inside-the-park home run to right field, his 22nd of the season, giving Mercer a 9-8 lead. Kersey, who moved from designated hitter to pitcher in the ninth, retired the Terriers in order, striking out two.

Wofford outhit Mercer 12-9. Brini was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two stolen bases. Tribble drove in three runs, and Manning homered and scored twice. For Mercer, Stephens was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, Katz was 2-for-2 with a homer and a double, and Huffman drove in two.

Wofford starter Cullen Condon struck out seven over six innings but allowed four runs on no hits, walking four and hitting a batter. Laughlin took the loss after allowing three runs – two earned – in two innings. Lawson Cole earned the win with a scoreless eighth, and Kersey picked up the save with a perfect ninth.

The victory gave Mercer its third win in as many head-to-head meetings this season, following a three-game sweep in Macon, Georgia, in April. The Bears have won five consecutive games.

The Terriers, who lost 13-7 to The Citadel the previous day, return home for a weekend series.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Mercer 7, Wofford 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Mercer with a 54.20 percent probability to win.