Friday, March 16
Macon, Ga.
3:30 P.M.
Mercer University
16-9
1
vs
7
Austin Peay
13-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Austin Peay
0
0
1
0
0
2
4
7
10
0
Mercer
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
7
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: MARDONES, Kelly (4-2)
L: Bilgri, Megan (6-4)
S: GROSS, Kelsey (1)
Batting:
2B: SCHILLING, Natalie 1
HR: ACREE, Kacy 1 ; RACKEL, Morgan 2 ; MOORE, Emily 1
RBI: ACREE, Kacy 2 ; RACKEL, Morgan 4 ; MOORE, Emily 1
SH: MOORE, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SCHILLING, Natalie 1 ; ACREE, Kacy 1 ; LIERMANN, Danielle 1 ; KEEN, Katie 1 ; RACKEL, Morgan 2 ; MOORE, Emily 1
SB: SCHILLING, Natalie 2 ; HARKLEROAD, Emily 1
Batting:
2B: Warren, Shaila 1
HR: Walsh, Abby 1
RBI: Walsh, Abby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Walsh, Abby 1
CS: Lane, Megan 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball1B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Photo by: Dannie Walls Photography
Mercer Defeats Rutgers, Splits Twin Bill
3/16/2018 10:05:00 PM | Softball
Bears falter against Austin Peay, roll past Rutgers
MACON, Ga. – Mercer split a pair of games Friday as it opened its final home tournament, the Mercer Bears Classic, with a 6-3 win over Rutgers and a 7-1 loss to Austin Peay at Sikes Field.
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Game 1: Austin Peay 7, Mercer 1
The Bears dropped their first game of the day as Austin Peay tagged Mercer starting pitcher Megan Bilgri for four home runs, including a pair of two-run long balls by designated player Morgan Rackel. A solo home run by Abby Walsh in the bottom of the fifth tied the game, 1-1. It was Mercer's only run production of the game, however, as the Governors plated six runs over the final two innings.
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Bilgri struck out eight batters as she fell to 6-4 on the season. Walsh and Caroline Taylor collected two hits apiece in the loss.
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Pitchers of Record
» Win: Kelly Mardones (4-2)
» Save: Kelsey Gross (1)
» Loss: Megan Bilgri (6-4)
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Record Update
» Mercer: 16-9
» Austin Peay: 13-7
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Game 2: Mercer 6, Rutgers 3
Mercer got back on track in the back end of its Friday twin bill as Jill McElderry tossed a complete game to earn her fifth win of the year in the circle. McElderry scattered seven hits and allowed only a pair of earned runs while striking out five Scarlet Knights.
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A fielding error by the Rutgers shortstop allowed Mercer to plate a pair of runs in the opening frame. After Rutgers cut the two-run lead in half with a solo home run, Mercer responded with a long ball of its own by Megan Lane in the third inning. Allie Jones was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded later in the third to extend Mercer's lead to 4-1.
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The Scarlet Knights tightened the gap with two runs over the fifth and sixth frames, but a solo shot by Shaila Warren and double down the line by Caroline Taylor put the game out of reach.
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Pitchers of Record
» Win: Jill McElderry (5-2)
» Loss: Cambria Keefer (5-6)
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Record Update
» Mercer: 17-9
» Rutgers: 13-13
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-------
Player of the Day
McElderry and Walsh split the honors Friday with a pair of strong performances. McElderry stepped up in timely fashion to help Mercer respond to a lackluster loss earlier in the afternoon, tossing a complete game for her fifth win.
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Meanwhile, Walsh went 4-for-4 on the day with her third home run of the season.
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Notables
» Bilgri and McElderry tossed their seventh and fifth complete games of the season, respectively.
» Walsh, Taylor and Laurenne Sanchez all tallied multi-hit performances.
» Warren's home run was her first of the season.
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Up Next
Mercer will take on Bucknell (12:15 p.m.) and Rutgers (2:30 p.m.) on Saturday in the second day of the Mercer Bears Classic.
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Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MercerSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball(Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Game 1: Austin Peay 7, Mercer 1
The Bears dropped their first game of the day as Austin Peay tagged Mercer starting pitcher Megan Bilgri for four home runs, including a pair of two-run long balls by designated player Morgan Rackel. A solo home run by Abby Walsh in the bottom of the fifth tied the game, 1-1. It was Mercer's only run production of the game, however, as the Governors plated six runs over the final two innings.
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Bilgri struck out eight batters as she fell to 6-4 on the season. Walsh and Caroline Taylor collected two hits apiece in the loss.
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Pitchers of Record
» Win: Kelly Mardones (4-2)
» Save: Kelsey Gross (1)
» Loss: Megan Bilgri (6-4)
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Record Update
» Mercer: 16-9
» Austin Peay: 13-7
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Game 2: Mercer 6, Rutgers 3
Mercer got back on track in the back end of its Friday twin bill as Jill McElderry tossed a complete game to earn her fifth win of the year in the circle. McElderry scattered seven hits and allowed only a pair of earned runs while striking out five Scarlet Knights.
Â
A fielding error by the Rutgers shortstop allowed Mercer to plate a pair of runs in the opening frame. After Rutgers cut the two-run lead in half with a solo home run, Mercer responded with a long ball of its own by Megan Lane in the third inning. Allie Jones was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded later in the third to extend Mercer's lead to 4-1.
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The Scarlet Knights tightened the gap with two runs over the fifth and sixth frames, but a solo shot by Shaila Warren and double down the line by Caroline Taylor put the game out of reach.
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Pitchers of Record
» Win: Jill McElderry (5-2)
» Loss: Cambria Keefer (5-6)
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Record Update
» Mercer: 17-9
» Rutgers: 13-13
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-------
Player of the Day
McElderry and Walsh split the honors Friday with a pair of strong performances. McElderry stepped up in timely fashion to help Mercer respond to a lackluster loss earlier in the afternoon, tossing a complete game for her fifth win.
Â
Meanwhile, Walsh went 4-for-4 on the day with her third home run of the season.
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Notables
» Bilgri and McElderry tossed their seventh and fifth complete games of the season, respectively.
» Walsh, Taylor and Laurenne Sanchez all tallied multi-hit performances.
» Warren's home run was her first of the season.
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Up Next
Mercer will take on Bucknell (12:15 p.m.) and Rutgers (2:30 p.m.) on Saturday in the second day of the Mercer Bears Classic.
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Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MercerSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball(Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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