Bears Set For Jacksonville On Senior Day
4/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Bears softball team will open the final home stand of the 2010 regular season on Friday in what will be a make or break series for the team's postseason aspirations.
The Bears (22-29, 4-12 A-Sun) come into the series in the ninth spot in the current Atlantic Sun standings with a 4-12 conference record. With just six teams advancing to the conference tournament, the Bears will have to win their final four games at home and have a little help from the two ahead of them in the standings in Jacksonville and Campbell.
Jacksonville has seven conference wins and will play a double header at Kennesaw State on Thursday in Kennesaw, Ga. and Campbell will have a doubleheader series against Belmont on Saturday.
The Last Time Out
FT. MYERS, Fla. – Offensively, the Mercer Bears softball team produced more hits in each of the two games played Saturday in Ft. Myers, Fla. But, in the end, it was Florida Gulf Coast that came away with the doubleheader sweep.
The Bears (22-29, 4-12 A-Sun) combined for 17 total hits on Saturday(4/24), but were only able to push five batters across the plate losing, 4-3 and 5-2. Mercer left 21 base runners stranded and lost their fourth-straight conference game moving their Atlantic Sun Conference record to 4-12.
Scouting The Opposition
Jacksonville(29-17, 7-7 A-Sun) comes in winning six of their last eight games and has the third best team batting average in the A-Sun at .265. Leading the way for the Dolphins is redshirt sophomore Kayla Ouellet and junior Katie Kelly. Ouellet has the third best batting average in the A-Sun hitting .364 with 15 RBI and Kelly leads the Dolphins with 33 RBI. In the last 10 games, Kelly is hitting .334 with eight RBI.
Inside the circle this season the Dolphins have relied heavily on the arm of Ashley Iveson. Iveson is one of six A-Sun pitchers to have a sub 2.00 ERA at 1.87 and has 15 wins in 26 appearances on the year.
Game Notes
-The Bears come into Friday's matchup with JU holding a 11-4 series lead including taking two of three in last season's games. Mercer's last tilt against the Dolphins was in the first round of the A-Sun tournament where the Bears shutout JU 2-0.
-Mercer will pay respect to three senior players on Senior Day at Friday's game. Holly Oglesbee, Brandy Keeter and Stacey Condra are four-year contributors and will be recognized at the conclusion of the doubleheader with Jacksonville.
