Mercer University
Austin Peay
Bears Win One; Lose One at Buzz Classic
3/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
WOODSTOCK, Ga. – The Mercer softball team continued their 12-game tournament road trip on Friday, playing a pair of games at the Georgia Tech "Buzz Classic" against Austin Peay and Boston University. The Bears defeated Austin Peay, 8-0 in five and lost to Boston 4-1 in the night cap.
The Bears (12-7, 0-0 A-Sun) went 3-2 last weekend at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial held at the same Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Woodstock, Ga. The Bears will wrap up their tournament play this weekend as they were scheduled to play another five games in the three-day tournament.
In game one, the Bears continued their impressive early-season output against the Lady Goveners. At this same point last season, Mercer was batting just .274 as a team and had just 80 RBI. This year the Bears are collectively hitting .306 and have 92 RBI.
Five Bears had RBI in game one and freshman third baseman Randi Rea led all players with four. The native of Suwannee, put the Bears up for good in the bottom of the first as she hit her first-career grand slam. Rea, is now tied for second on the team with three home runs and third with 14 RBI on the year.
Senior pitcher Kari Chambers recorded one of her more dominate outings on the year in game one, throwing a two-hit complete game shutout. She had a similar outing two weeks ago against Oakland – also in an 8-0 shutout. On Friday she struck out eight batters to add to her season total of 50. It was also her team-high fifth complete game.
Sophomore Sarah Santana and freshman Krista Kennedy both had two hits and an RBI in the game. Anna Johnson went 1-for-2 on the day and also added her 15th stolen base of the year. She has only been caught once on the base pads and leads the A-Sun in that category.
Game two played out a little differently as the Bears were limited offensively because of a great pitching performance by Boston University freshman pitcher, Holli Floetker. Floetker gave up just one hit in seven innings and struck out seven Mercer batters.
Mercer trailed after the second inning, as Boston's Chelsea Kehr hit a solo shot off Mercer senior pitcher Jenni Holtz. It was the sixth home run that Holtz has let up in 2011.
The Bears were still in the game into the fifth as Holtz settled down after giving up the home run. In the top of the fifth, Mercer was able to tie it up as Santana drove in a Rea from third on a groundout to the shortstop.
However, in the bottom half of the inning the Bears were unable to hold the lead as Holtz was tagged for three runs on three hits. Boston base runners stole three bases in the inning and were able to capitalize on the timely hitting.
Mercer went three up and three and down in each of the final two innings to drop their seventh game of the year.
The Bears will be back in action tomorrow with another doubleheader scheduled for 4 and 6 p.m. MU will face two MAC schools tomorrow in Akron (4 p.m.) and Miami (Ohio) (6 p.m.).
