MACON, Ga. - The University of Pennsylvania baseball team battled Mercer on Friday night at OrthoGeorgia Park but narrowly fell 5-4 to begin the weekend's three-game series.

Quaker Notemeal
*Junior outfielder Gavin Degnan recorded the Quakers' first home run of the season Friday night with a solo shot to right-center field.
 
*Nick Spaventa, Jarrett Pokrovsky and Jay Secretarski all logged hits for Penn. Friday's contest made it four-straight games that Secretarski has registered a base knock.
 
*Degnan finished his day with two RBIs and Spaventa tacked on another for the Red and Blue.

*Gavin Collins, Michael Powell, Ryan Taylor and Spaventa each drew a walk.

How It Happened
Garrett Lambert started on the mound for the Bears and kept Penn quiet in the first inning. Collins made his way to first after being struck by a pitch, but then Davis Baker, Ernie Echevarria and Spaventa went down in order. Jake Moss began the night on the bump for Penn and kept Mercer scoreless through the first frame.

The hosts took the first lead of the contest in the second inning. Titan Kamaka got the Bears going with a double to left center, followed by Kaleb Huffman being walked. Devyn McEachron then singled to right center to drive in Kamaka, and a SAC-fly from Nathan Rowland eventually saw Huffman cross home plate.

Penn cut its deficit in half in the third stanza. Taylor led off for the Quakers and was walked by Lambert. Over the next two at-bats, Taylor stole second and third to put himself in scoring position with two outs. Lambert then balked, allowing Taylor to waltz across the dish. Moss proceeded to retire Mercer's lineup in 1-2-3 fashion.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Red and Blue tied the game in the fifth. Degnan was first up at the plate and despite facing an 0-2 count the Lakehurst, N.J. native blasted the Quakers' first home run of the season to right-center field to tie the ballgame at two runs apiece.

Both sides notched two runs in the sixth inning. Baker began the frame at the plate for Penn and reached first on a fielding error at second base. Echevarria was up next, and he reached first on a fielder's choice, which saw Baker be put out at second.

Spaventa then responded for the Quakers by lining a double to left field, and Echevarria turned on the jets to make it home, giving the visitors their first lead of the night (3-2). Degnan tallied his second RBI of the evening during the next at-bat with a SAC-fly to right field that allowed Spaventa to score.

Aidan von Zuben took over on the mound for the Quakers in the bottom of the sixth. Braydon Kersey was first to step into the batter's box for Mercer, and he recorded a single to center field. Huffman then knocked a double to the right side to grant the hosts two runners in scoring position.

Kamaka's time at the plate was short-lived after von Zuben struck him out, but a single to left by Dylan LaPointe sent both Kersey and Huffman home. The Bears' next three batters were retired in order to close out the inning.

Penn struggled to get the bats going in the seventh, which opened the door for Mercer. Co-captain Thomas Shurtleff remained on the mound for the Quakers after being called into action to get out of the sixth frame. Chris Katz began at the plate for Mercer and reached first after Shurtleff walked him. Brant Baughcum then laid down a sacrifice bunt, allowing Katz to advance to second. Kersey capitalized on the runner in scoring position by ripping a double to left center that ended up being the game-winning RBI.

Mercer's reliever Andrew Garnett made quick work of the visitors' order, sending Spaventa, Pokrovsky and Powell back to the dugout. Shurtleff let up three hits in a row in the bottom of the eighth, but the senior's experience showed as he got out of a bases-loaded situation by retiring Katz, Baughcum and Kersey.
 
Degnan, Secretarski and pinch-hitter Connor McCabe were due up for Penn in the top of the ninth inning. Kersey was now on the mound for the Bears, and he got the frame started with a strikeout of Degnan. Secretarski responded with a single to center field in hopes of restoring some life to the Quakers' bats. The freshman's base knock continued his streak of registering a hit in every game of the young season so far.

Mercer ended up snatching game one of this weekend's series when Kersey took care of McCabe and Collins to get out of the ninth. The Bears advanced to 9-1 with Friday night's victory, and Penn dropped to 0-4.

Up Next
The Red and Blue return to OrthoGeorgia Park at 2 p.m. on Saturday to continue their series with the Bears. Fans can keep up with the action by following live stats throughout the weekend.
 
For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.