It was deja vu all over again for the Furman baseball team Friday night.
Exactly a week after a heartbreaking loss at Wofford in which the Paladins blew a four-run lead in the 10th, Furman blew a four-run lead in the ninth Friday at Latham Stadium as Mercer rallied for a 5-4 win.
Facing an outstanding Mercer team that improved to 22-6 and 3-1 in the Southern Conference, Furman's Will Gaddis was dominant for eight scoreless innings. Gaddis, who had a no-hitter until a single with two out in the sixth, gave up two hits, three walks and struck out 10. Of Gaddis' 99 pitches, 72 went for strikes.
The Paladins (11-13, 1-3) staked Gaddis to a 4-0 lead thanks to a two-out, two-run single by Carter Grote in the seventh and a solo home run by Sky Overton in the eighth.
But the Bears made quick work of Furman's bullpen in the ninth. After a leadoff double on an 0-2 pitch, a flyout, and a single on an 0-2 pitch, Mercer's Hunter Bening clubbed an 0-1 pitch for his eighth home run to cut the lead to 4-3. Ryan Hagan followed by hitting a 1-1 pitch from Heath Hawkins over the leftfield fence for his first home run to tie the game.
Furman closer Jake Crawford came on in relief of Hawkins. Following a strikeout, Mercer's ninth-place hitter Alex Hanson sent a 3-2 pitch out for his third home run to put Mercer on top.
Bears' reliever Robert Broom delivered a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his first save.
The Paladins, who have lost five of their last six games, will try to get back on track in Saturday's second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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