Mercer 5, Chattanooga 4
Chattanooga 8, Mercer 2
Mercer 8, Chattanooga 0
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team took the three game series 2-to-1 against the SoCon's top seeded UT Chattanooga. The Bears defeated the Mocs 5-4 in game one, dropped game two 8-2, and clinched the series with a 8-0 route in game three to close out Sunday's triple-header.
The Mocs jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs to open the series in the first inning. Mercer went scoreless in the first two innings before adding their first run of the game in the third. Riley Carter added the first RBI of the day for the Bears, scoring Taylor Miller to narrow the Mocs lead to 2-1 heading into the fourth.
Chattanooga answered with a pair of runs in the top half of the fourth to extend their lead to 4-1. Mercer would not go away in game one, plating a run in the fourth to cut the lead to two on Molly Garmany's sac fly. The Bears scored a run in the third straight inning in the fifth, as Meghan Rud advanced home on a sac fly by Caroline Taylor, making the score 4-3 heading into the sixth.
After a scoreless sixth inning the Bears were left with three outs to decide the game in the seventh. With one out and a runner on, Natalie Shiver launched a ball over the left center fence to end the game with a two run walk-off to clinch game one. Kirsten Stevens recorded her 21st win of the season, throwing seven complete innings and recording seven strikeouts. Rud clinched the single season stolen base record in game one of the day with her 29th career stolen base.
UTC jumped out to an early lead again in game two of the day, plating two runs in the second inning to give the Mocs an early 2-0 lead. Mercer answered with a pair of runs in the third, the first of which came on an error by the Mocs third baseman to score Emma Andrew. The second run of the inning came on a RBI single from Talor to score Rud.
The Mocs would go on to score runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings to take the commanding 8-2 lead. The Bears would throw three pitchers in the second outing of the day as Megan Bilgri got the start and picked up the loss on the day in four innings of work. Rachael Hugghins added a tenth of an inning of work before, Anna O'Neill was brought in to close out the contest.
Game three on the day noted Mercer's chance to jump out to the early lead, as the Bears scored two runs on two hits in the second inning. Shiver picked up her second home run of the day with a solo blast to dead center to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. On the next at bat, Kaylynn Sloat added a home run of her own to go back-to-back and give Mercer a 2-0 lead after two.
After a scoreless third, Mercer broke the game over in the fourth, scoring six runs on six hits and help by a Mocs error. Shiver recorded her third homerun of the day, second of the game, with a solo shot to left center field. Andrew added an RBI double to score Quirisa Mauga . On the next at bat Miller would drive in Andrew with a RBI single to first base. With runners on second and third, Carter added a pair of RBIs with a double to left field. With the pair of RBIs Carter set the new single season RBI record for the Bears at 58. Taylor added her second RBI sac fly of the day, scoring Carter for the final run of the day.
Stevens closed out the day retiring three out of four batters in the top of the fifth to record her 22 win of the season. The shutout marked Stevens sixth of the year and the first time the Mocs have been run ruled in 2015. Stevens allowed only two hits in five innings of work, while recording three strikeouts to round out her second win of the day.
Mercer will end regular season play with a three game series at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, starting on Saturday, May 2nd at 1:00 p.m. EST, before heading to the SoCon Tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee on May 6th.
Furman 1, Western Carolina 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Furman left-hander Lindsey Bert tossed a five-hit shutout to lead the Paladins to a 1-0 victory over Western Carolina on Sunday afternoon and a three-game series sweep of the Catamounts in Cullowhee, N.C.
The victory in the series finale marked the seventh straight win for the Paladins and improved Furman to 26-21 overall and 9-6 in Southern Conference play. Western fell to 20-29 overall and 8-9 in the league.
With Furman clinging to a 1-0 lead, Western Carolina's Heather Chastain and Taylor Sigmon opened the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles and moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Bert fanned Karley Harkey for the second out before striking out pinch hitter Brooke Coggins to secure the victory.
The win was the 19th for Bert (19-11), who became the first Furman hurler to notch 19 victories in a season in more than a decade. The freshman struck out eight batters while scattering five hits in the complete game effort after tossing a two-hit shutout in game one of the series and earning a save in game two on Saturday. Bert finished the weekend with a 2-0 record, save and 0.00 ERA in 15 and 1/3 innings of work.
Western Carolina senior Jordan Garrett (14-15) suffered the loss despite holding Furman to just a run on two hits in seven innings. She tallied seven strikeouts in the loss, but also issued seven walks.
With the game scoreless after six innings, Furman's AnnaRose Borrelli lined a pinch hit single back up the middle to leadoff the seventh inning. After Garrett erased pinch runner Andrea Abbatiello on Emma Ogburn's bunt and Courtney Jacobs was thrown out on a sacrifice bunt that advanced Ogburn to second base, Ambree Muller and Natalie Clemmons worked two-out walks to load the bases. Junior Sieara Bishop fouled off a pair of two-strike pitched before drawing a bases loaded walk to force in Ogburn with the game's lone run.
Bishop went 1-for-2 with a single, two walks and the game's only RBI while Muller and Bert drew two walks apiece.
The win marked Furman's eighth triumph in its last nine meetings with Western Carolina and gave the Paladins five wins in their last six games in Cullowhee.
Furman caps its non-conference schedule with a 3 p.m. twinbill at Gardner-Webb on Wednesday before hosting league rival UNCG in the final SoCon series of the regular season on Saturday and Sunday at Pepsi Stadium.
UNCG 7, ETSU 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG softball team celebrated Senior Day with a 7-2 victory against ETSU to complete a three-game sweep Sunday at the UNCG Softball Stadium.
The Spartans improved to 20-19, 5-9 in conference games after earning the three game series sweep. ETSU falls to 12-29 and is 1-14 in SoCon games.
Before the game, UNCG celebrated the careers of its two seniors Dominique Madruga and Tatiana Alcala.
Junior Nicole Thomas threw a complete game improving to 7-8 on the season. N. Thomas went seven innings and allowed just two earned runs off five hits. Whitney Leon took the loss in relief falling to 4-11 on the season. Leon gave up five runs (three earned) off three hits in 2.1 innings.
UNCG took a 2-0 lead in the first inning scoring two runs with recording any hits. Junior Danielle Vega and Nicole Thomas worked back-to-back walks with one out. Sophomore Emily Lopez pinch ran and stole third base. Junior Lindsay Thomas earned a RBI off a fielder’s choice to ETSU’s shortstop. N. Thomas scored the second run off a wild pitch.
ETSU answered with two runs in the third inning off three hits. With two outs, Kelsey Chernak was hit by a pitch and moved to second off a wild pitch. Jennine Duncan singled and Nicole Fox followed with a RBI single. Malloree Schurr doubled to left field tying the game at 2-2.
The Spartans regained the lead with two runs in the fourth inning off two hits and two ETSU errors. Sophomore Tory Wright singled to start the inning. Freshman Alexis Overdiep found a hole through the infield on a bunt giving UNCG a 3-2 lead. Madruga earned a RBI off a bunt to push the lead to 4-2.
UNCG added three insurance runs in the fifth inning off one hit. Vega worked a walk and Nicole Thomas singled to right field to start the inning. With one out, Wright walked to load the bases and pinch-hitter Sidney Grkman earned a RBI off a hit by pitch. Overdiep picked up her second RBI of the game with a fielder’s choice to first base. Freshman Gabrielle Cubbage hit a RBI sacrifice fly to make the score 7-2.
Nicole Thomas kept ETSU off the scoreboard in the seventh inning to seal the victory for the Spartans.
The Blue and Gold remain home for a doubleheader starting Tuesday, April 28 against Radford at 4 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Stadium.