Two conference records fall in the opening two games of the SoCon Softball Tournament

No. 5 Mercer 11, No. 8 Furman 7
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – No. 5 seed Mercer topped No. 8 seed Furman, 11-7, in an instant classic in the opening game of the Southern Conference Softball Championship presented by One Spartanburg at Hope Field on Wednesday.

The Bears (32-23) advance to play No. 4 seed Wofford (30-20) later today at 4 p.m. The Paladins (15-38) were eliminated from the tournament.

After the first two innings were scoreless, Furman got on the board in the third frame. Ansley Chiang reached on an one-out error and advanced to second on a groundout. That set the stage for a two-out two-run blast by second-team all-conference performer Sylvia Burroughs, making the score 2-0 in favor of the Paladins.  

Furman would add another run to its lead in the top of the fourth when Katie Peeler scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Sydney McGuirk. The Paladins led 3-0 entering the bottom of the frame, but the Mercer bats woke up. Singles by Paris Wiggs and Grace Jones placed runners on first and second. Hannah Rivers evened the score on the next at-bat, crushing a three-run homer to right field to even the score at 3-3.

The Bears moved in front during the fifth inning. After two quick outs, Mercer loaded the bases following a pair of singles and a walk, forcing a pitching change by Furman. Jones stepped into the batter’s box after that and singled up the middle, bringing Wiggs and Hallie Langford across home plate. Tori Hedgecock would also score on the play on an error, making the score 6-3. Rivers doubled to left field after that, scoring Jones to make the score 7-3 in favor of the fifth seed.

Furman rallied in the seventh inning. The Paladins began the frame with a double from Grayson Snead and a single by Chiang, putting runners on the corners. With the top of the lineup back up, Caitlin Goldwait doubled down the left field line, scoring both runners to make score 7-5 in favor of Mercer.

After a strikeout, Kiley Perry doubled to the right center gap, scoring Jordynn Lawrence, who pinch ran for Goldwait, to bring the Paladins within one run. Rachel Hawkins singled to right field on the next at-bat, placing runners at first and third. Two batters later, Perry scored on a passed ball, tying the game at 7-7, before a groundout sent the game into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Wiggs singled to get the Bears started at the plate. After a pair of fielder’s choices and error loaded the bases, Rivers stepped into the batter’s box. She proceeded to send a walk-off grand slam over the left field wall, ending the game and advancing Mercer.

Grace Taylor (3-2) picked up the win, tossing three innings and striking out three batters out of the bullpen for the Bears.

Rivers finished the game 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, two runs scored and a SoCon Tournament record eight RBIs. Jones had three hits, three runs and two RBIs for Mercer. Both Rivers and Jones were members of the SoCon all-freshman team.

Goldwait and Perry both went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Paladins. Goldwait had two RBIs, while Perry had one RBI and one run scored.

 No. 7 ETSU 12, No. 6 Western Carolina 9
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The No. 7 seed ETSU rallied back to defeat the No. 6 seed Western Carolina, 12-9, in the second game of the 2025 Southern Conference Softball Championship presented by One Spartanburg on Wednesday at Hope Field. The Buccaneers overcame a six-run lead in the contest, marking the largest comeback in a game in a conference tournament contest.

ETSU (18-35) advances to play No. 3 seed Samford later today at 7 p.m. The Catamounts (22-31) were eliminated for the tournament.
 
The Catamounts got on the board in the opening inning of the contest. First-team all-conference selection Lily Bell walked to start the frame and stole to move into scoring position. Bell advance to third on a groundout before scoring on a single by Sydney Dirks, putting Western Carolina up 1-0.

In the second inning, Western Carolina posted five runs. Tate Stewman hit an RBI single, scoring Rylee Butler to make the score 2-0. Stewman scored on a single by Bell two batters later. Following a walk that loaded the bases, Maya McPherson hit a bases-clearing double, putting the Catamounts up 6-0.

ETSU would get on the board in the fifth inning, taking the league in the process. A Halle Laramie two-run double gave the Bucs their first runs of the contest. Two batters later, Cameron Young doubled to bring Laramie across home plate, making the score 6-3 in favor of Western Carolina.

A single by Riley Nayadley loaded the bases for ETSU, before Sara Muir drew a walk and Makayla Veglia was hit by a pitch, closing the Catamount advantage to 6-5. The Bucs brought in Taylor Suchy to pinch hit on the next at-bat and she delivered, singling to center field to score Nayadley and tie the game at 6-6. ETSU would tie the game before recording an out in the frame.

The Buccaneers scored two more runs in the top of the fifth via an RBI single from Tiare Reiger and a sacrifice fly by Laramie. ETSU would carry an 8-6 lead into the bottom of the inning.

Western Carolina responded in the frame, scoring a pair of runs to tie the game at 8-8. Taylor Waitley and Imara Harrell both scored runs in the frame off of RBI singles from Bell and Courtney Marks, respectively.

ETSU regained the lead in the sixth. Veglia hit an RBI single to Young, giving the team their first run of the frame. Two batters later, Leinani Lutu brought two across home plate on a single, bringing the Bucs lead to 11-8.

An insurance run was scored by Abigail Taylor in the top of the seventh inning, moving the Bucs lead to 12-8. The Catamounts would get a solo homer from McPherson in the bottom of the frame, but that was all as ETSU forced a groundout on the next at-bat, completing its comeback.

Marissa Barnes (4-9) got the win inside the circle, throwing 2.2 innings in relief for ETSU. Taylor, Young and Nayadley all had three hits, and two runs scored for the Bucs.

Bell went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, finishing her sophomore campaign with a .455 batting average, which is a conference record for a season.