TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The visiting Mercer Bears scored six runs in the eighth inning to break open a close game on Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium, using that late offense to pick up a 9-1 victory over the Indiana State baseball team on Friday night.

The loss is the third straight for the Indiana State, dropping the Sycamores to 3-5 on the season. Mercer improves to 13-2 after sweeping a doubleheader on Friday.

Mercer took the lead in the third inning, taking advantage of a fielding error by Indiana State to allow Sasha LaGarde to score from second. Indiana State tied the score in the bottom half of the inning as redshirt sophomore Derek Hannahs (single), sophomore Landon Curry (single) and junior Cody Zimmerman (walk) loaded the bases with no outs before senior Robby Ort brought Hannahs home with a sacrifice fly. The Bears turned to their bullpen to get out of the jam, as MU's David Teasley got a popout and a strikeout the end the ISU rally.

The Bears regained the lead for good in the top of the fourth inning, as Austin Barrett and David Reid-Foley collected back-to-back RBIs to put Mercer in front 3-1.

The Mercer bullpen retired 12 straight Indiana State batters following Ort's sacrifice fly, as just four Sycamores would reach base for the remainder of the game.

MU put the game out of reach in the eighth inning, totaling five hits and six runs in the frame including a two-out grand slam by Logan Gaines.

Junior Daniel Peterson (0-2) started and went 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts. Four relievers combined for the final 4.2 innings of work on the mound for Indiana State. Ben Lumsden (2-0) earned the win out of the Mercer bullpen, working five scoreless innings of relief.

Curry and redshirt sophomore Jacob Hayes each tallied a pair of hits with Ort driving in ISU's lone run.

Three games will take place between Indiana State, South Dakota State and Mercer on Saturday. SDSU and MU take the field at 11:00 a.m., before Indiana State plays SDSU at 2:30 p.m. and Mercer at 6:00 p.m.