SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer’s Megan Lane and Lynn Gardner have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games played April 29-May 5, the conference office announced Monday. It is the second weekly award of the season for Lane and the first for Gardner.
Lane went 7-for-12 (.593) at the plate as Mercer swept Furman on the road. The senior had at least two hits in all three contests on the weekend and totaled four RBIs, a double and a stolen base to conclude the regular season. She also finished with a perfect fielding percentage, recording 19 putouts. The Brooksville, Florida, native was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the series opener as Mercer won 6-4. She finished 2-for-4 in the first game of the doubleheader the following day, adding a stolen base in the 5-1 win. In the series finale, she finished 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs as the Bears won 8-4 to cap off the sweep.
Gardner picked up three saves and amassed a 0.98 ERA in the series at Furman. The freshman from Mobile, Alabama, pitched 7.1 innings over three games and allowed just three hits and one run scored, striking out 10 batters and walking just one. She came in and struck out three batters in 1 and 1/3 innings in the opener, not allowing a hit. In game one of the Sunday doubleheader, Gardner threw allowed one hit in three innings of work and struck out four. She tallied three more innings in the series finale, giving up two hits and a run but striking out three.
Mercer (25-27, 10-7) is the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Championship, slated for May 8-11 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Bears square off against No. 5 ETSU (20-25-2, 6-11) in the tournament opener on May 8 at 10 a.m. The winner of that contest will face top-seed UNCG on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
Others nominated for player of the week: Kelly Warren (ETSU), Emily Coltharp (Chattanooga) and Marisa Sholtes (UNCG).
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Mackenzie Dyson (ETSU), Stephanie Bryden (UNCG) and Celie Hudson (Chattanooga).
2019 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 11 – Aly Walker, OF/DP, Jr., Chattanooga
Feb. 18 – Amanda Beltran, C., Sr., Chattanooga
Feb. 25 – Nikki Grupp, 3B, Jr., ETSU
March 4 – Marissa Guimbarda, DP/1B, So., Furman
March 11 – Emma Sturdivant, 1B, Sr., Chattanooga
March 18 – Emily Coltharp, SS, Fr., Chattanooga
March 25 – Kasidy Dunn, INF, Fr., ETSU
April 1 – Hannah Trombley, DP, Sr., Samford
April 8 – Megan Lane, INF, Sr., Mercer
April 15 – Whitney Hinton, 2B, Jr., Samford
April 22 – Kenlie Harvey, INF, Fr., Mercer
April 29 – Gabi Howard, INF, Fr. UNCG
May 6 – Megan Lane, INF, Sr., Mercer
2019 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 11 – Celie Hudson, Jr., Chattanooga
Feb. 18 – Kelly Schmidt, Jr., ETSU
Feb. 25 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
March 4 – Emily DeMonte, Sr., Furman
March 11 – Mariah Ramirez, Fr., Chattanooga
March 18 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
March 25 – Emily DeMonte, Sr., Furman
April 1 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
April 8 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
April 15 – Bailey Pattison, Fr., Mercer
April 22 – Celie Hudson, Jr., Chattanooga
April 29 – Celie Hudson, Jr., Chattanooga
May 6 – Lynn Gardner, Fr., Mercer
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