Mercer University
Radford
Bears Offense Productive On Opening Day
2/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. – It took a couple of extra days, but the Mercer softball team opened up the 2011 campaign at the Spring Hill Suites Eagle Classic on Saturday splitting a doubleheader with Radford and Georgia Southern. The Bears downed the reigning Big South champions Radford 6-4 in the opener and then fell to tournament host Georgia Southern, 7-5 in game two.
Radford came into the year receiving votes in both the preseason USA Softball/ESPN.com and USA Today/NFCA Coaches Polls while Georgia Southern was picked third in a very competitive SoCon Conference. It was the Bears fourth opening day win in the past five seasons.
In game one, Mercer was able to set the pace early thanks to a great opening day outing by senior pitcher Kari Chambers who recorded a complete game in the win. Chambers started the contest with three scoreless innings while striking out seven and giving up just the four earned runs on the day.
Chambers was able to pitch well thanks to some early run support by the Mercer bats. Newcomer freshman McKenzie Woody began her Mercer career with her first-ever single in the top of the first. The Fayetteville, Ga. native promptly stole second and worked her way around the bases to score on a passed ball to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead.
The Mercer bats kept the runs coming in a big way up 2-0 going into the top of the fifth. Junior catcher Kristin Marko hit a two-run RBI double and classmate Sara Stukes followed with a two-run home run to push the Bears' advantage up to 6-1 at the end of five. All told the Bears offense generated six runs on just five hits.
That would be all the run support Chambers needed as the Woodstock, Ga. product kept her composure and held off the Highlanders late-inning threat. Radford scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh to make things interesting.
Game two of the tournament featured a premier pitching match-up between Mercer ace Jenni Holtz and senior Megen Smith. The primetime match-up failed to live up to the billing as both hurlers were out of the game by the fourth inning.
Smith was recently named the Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year, yet the Bears were able to tag her for two runs on four hits in just over three innings of work. Holtz, who is now just 10 strikeouts shy of 800 for her career, gave up two uncharacteristic home runs in the bottom of the first. The Bears' senior ace went just 1.1 innings giving up three runs in her first start of the season.
Junior college transfer Kassie Bailey had a courageous effort in her first-ever appearance throwing two scoreless innings and striking out four batters before giving up a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
The Bears would answer in the top of half of the sixth however, as three players hit doubles driving in three runs of their own and cutting the Eagles lead to 6-5. Junior Sara Stukes went two-for-four in game two with two doubles. Stukes also had the Bears first home run of the season in game one.
The Bears faceoff against the same two teams tomorrow in the final day of the Eagle Classic. The Bears are scheduled to play Radford at 12:30 p.m. and then Georgia Southern again at 3 p.m.
